Paternity Benefit Bill: The Gender We Talk About, The Benefit We Don’t

Amidst all the expectations around the male gender since his birth, there is secretly an expectation which every spouse hopes for. Time has developed since the only job of the male co-partner remained until the “sperm fertilised the egg”. The couples grow in love as they call themselves ‘pregnant’ and not just the technical one. The change in the ideologies was very well understood by the law presenters of the country. The idea to give chances to the father to be able to be completely devote to the upbringing of his junior. The benefits to be able to not lose work, not to miss deadlines but to be able to absorb the presence of a new member in the family.

‘Paternity Benefit Bill’ made rounds in the corner of the Parliament in 2017 with a view to benefit the fathers to oblige to their parental duties. It stated to give all workers, including men in the unorganised and private sector, to be benefitted with a paternity leave of fifteen days which could be extended up to three months.

The bill introduced stated for the employees to receive payment at the same rate as the average daily wage or even so, on a minimum rate of wage as revised. The same could be availed from an organisation if he had already served not less than eighty days in the last twelve months immediately preceding the delivery date of the child. However, the clauses require fathers with only less than two surviving children to opt for the same.

The gender benefits do not end here as the bill further stated to introduce proper guidelines in order to provide benefits to every man. A crucial affair that the bill brought was the Parental Scheme Benefit Fund. Under this, the government would create a fund specifically for purposes of paternity benefits where employers irrespective of genders would contribute. It was to meet the costs which would be induced through the availing of the particular benefit and the loss of work. Not to forget to mention on how the bill boldly announces that on death of the man during the following tenure, the nominee has rights of receiving payments till the end of it.

The beauty of the bill is not restricted to the birth fathers. The Bill allows the adoptive father of a child below three months of age or the legal husband of a mother in the cause, to be given the same benefits.

The objective of the bill is to ensure to the mother gets constant support in the process. It is not only through looking after the child together but when the father gets time with the child, the mother gets a chance to resume her work. Usually during the commissioning period, the mother develops a distant connection with her work until her child grows to handle himself. Such an act of love unfortunately also throws the woman out of the race of the market. Her positions degrade after she resumes and the restoration is more often than not, impossible. The option of choosing between the newborn and the profession is unjust and the bill certainly helps the attain the goal.

Through the bill, the perception of gender roles gets on hold. It creates an aura of gender equality at home. The shifts of looking after the child when divided among the two parents can lead to none of them having major deviations from their works to only allow the emotions of seeing their child grow into a form of their own reflection.

Despite the benefits kept in front, a lot of issues persisted to not allow the bill to go further. The Maternity Benefit Act shifts the entire financial burden on the employers and through an introduction of system which would allow funds, the work place might discourage the driving force of the other objectives of women employment. Furthermore, the Paternity Bill necessitates to be extended to all sectors whereas the Maternity Act has only limited applications. It creates inequality, not only with the Maternity Benefit Act but also with the fact that the objective of the Paternity Bill is not merely paternal benefits but also equal opportunities to both the genders.

However, this creation of inequality is amendable.There can be similar benefits to both the parents and if it requires anything urgently, it is the mindset to evolve that both of it can co-exist.

Munchausen Syndrome

Munchausen syndrome is a mental disorder in which, the person thinks or acts to be sick physically or mentally when the person is not. It is a factitious disorder. It is considered to be a severe mental illness because it gives emotional difficulties as well.

The Munchausen name has come after the name of a German officer who used to weave stories about his life and experiences. This is the most severe factitious disorder. Most of the people associated with this mental disorder related to chest pain, stomach pain, rather than a mental disorder.

Symptoms

The people who are suffering from this problem may fake to their illness and exaggerate their sickness. Moreover, they even hurt themselves to bring the symptoms.
The symptoms of this mental disorder are not so prominent rather the problem can get increased if it is not treated properly, also can get changed with proper care.
Excessive knowledge of medical terminology, illness, and hospitals
One can see the presence of symptoms when the person is getting observed
The person doesn’t want the doctor to meet their family
The patient might have a history of visiting numerous hospitals
Problem with self-esteem

Though there is no such cause is found for Munchausen syndrome but the researchers are looking for it. But from some theories, a justification has come that might be the abuse or neglect from

How to diagnose

This is very difficult to diagnose Munchausen syndrome because their dishonesty is involved. The doctor needs to diagnose the patient physically to be sure if the person has the problem or it is a mental disorder. The psychiatrist will understand through the way the patient describes their problem. To detect the syndrome doctor takes some assessment tools or other interview sessions. This includes the observation of the patient’s attitude. When the treatment starts, the first thing to do is to reduce the patient’s misuse or overuse of medical sources. Once it is done the treatment moves forward and doctors seek if there is an underlying syndrome. Sometimes the patients go to those doctors who are unaware of their syndrome.

Though no reliable statistical numbers of patients. The syndrome is considered to be a very rare condition. Because dishonesty is common with weakness. The person who has this syndrome goes for different health facilities which can lead to misleading statistics. This mental disorder is common to men more than women as per the survey. But this affects young adults the most.

Primarily the syndrome can be cured by psychological therapy to talk therapy. The first job is to change the way of thinking and behavior. In this regard, family therapy is also included so that they do not reinforce the problem again to arise. No medication is there to help from the factitious disorder. As there are many other mental disorders like depression, those medications can be used. But while the medicine is being applied to the patient if Munchausen syndrome should be under proper monitoring.

SUICIDE NOTE: FROM THE PAVEMENT OF ABETMENT TO THREAT

Suicide note is a document, not a mere goodbye or a mode of remembering, but one which has the potential to give access to the person’s inner thoughts and feelings even after they are long gone. From people who want their story to be told, often the person lives behind mentioning different people who might have affected their lives. Though the reasons can never be brought into a particular set but it can bring two sorts of people into the picture. One in a positive light and the other completely opposite. Most of the lost hopes varies from reacting to the feeling of burden on the relatives or close ones to giving up on repetitive trauma from a set of people or any one person specifically. Both the scenarios, however, bring in questions. The controversies regarding discourse on suicides in India is huge. The judicial system scrutinizes the action and grasps every loophole that could have had led the suicide. As suppose, could have abetted the suicide.

Abetment to suicide is a crime. Not namesake but one of the legal provisions as well. Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code criminalizes the offence. A person is considered guilty of abetment upon three instances. If he instigates the person, if he has been a part of the conspiracy behind it or if he has intentionally helped the victim to commit the act. And importantly, direct evidence is required against the accused to show the alleged crime. It definitely looks a two-way pavement until here but what lies beneath the surface are the eyes of the world around the suspect. The one in the middle of a mere mentioned name and a criminal- the one in middle of the trial.

A name mentioned in a suicide note includes the person as an accused under a non bailable offence where the person receives a summon or notice from the local police station. The investigation goes on and a charge sheet gets filed against the mentioned name. Post all of these, a trial stands before the court. This is a tedious and defaming process for any prudent person. And thus, gets abused more often than not. The process gets tamed every hour in India when a person uses different phrases as to ‘cut nerves’, ‘kill themselves’, ‘the police will take you’, ‘it will be your fault’, ‘you will be guilty forever’, in order to get something to which the other silently agrees because what lies on the other hand is unknown.

However, one does not need to worry about the process at any point of time if they are not guilty. Truth has prevailed for the entire history of manhood and if put forth in the investigation process shall as well help gain way out from the difficult times as such.

It is important to notice that most threats usually come to partners who look to end a relationship to which the co-partner cannot come to terms with. There stands no-win situation in a case like this. The level of uncertainty is huge and the loss could be unbearable.

The thin line between the law for actual abetment to the abuse of the law is not foreseeable. A person at the edge for the same should not misjudge the actual cry for help to the attention seekers. However, for a person who knew about the suicide and decided to not help the cause or did not make attempts to stop or discontinued the cause could become more than just regretful. They are probable criminals in the eyes of law.

It is true that once the threat turns the other way, there’s no turning back. However, one should always keep a few points in mind. First of all, a compassionate behavior with a person who we are no longer in terms with can go a long way. Next, professional advice should always be taken. One as it could save the person in question and also give you the green card of innocence even if mentioned in the note for any cause. It also gets very important to understand the habitual offenders and to take them seriously. The ridiculing of it being an everyday affair is not a healthy mentality. The repeated threats often bring in personal derangement which increases the risks. While one might consider obliging to all the demands put forward during such a crisis, it gets very important to involve very close and dear ones and let them to know about the threat.

The above-mentioned points are not just mere suggestions but also points out as “duty” in the law. The principle is evidentially prevalent in both civil and criminal matters. However, duty differs in different cases. From the perspective of duty in threatened suicide, if a help is promised in the form of care or companionship, it gets binding since there is an established duty of care. But the duty of care also depends on the type of relationship with the person at stake.

Summing up, the best way to get out of a situation is truth and actions which would leave no room for regret in the future. It is worth keeping in mind that, ‘to save another life, you must safeguard yours first’.

Paper Bag Day

What a newly discovered thing I have come across, Paper Bag day which is celebrated on the 12th of June, but did we really knew about this? We people only celebrate Valentine’s Day because that is the only day in the whole year which is very important to us. I am not saying that start celebrating paper bag day but at least give some importance to these things also. Stop using plastic bags, use jute bags or cloth bags, whats the harm in it.

History of Paper Bag

For many years jute bags were used, they were the primary method of moving goods across the British Empire but on the other hand paper bags were more portable and cost-effective and soon it became the leading material for portable bags along the trade route. American inventor, Fracis Wolle invented the first paper bag machine in 1852 and “The Mother of the Grocery Bag”– Margaret E. Knight designed the square, the flat bottomed and the machine that can fold in into a bag and paste them.

Advantages of using Paper Bags

1.Paper bag day is celebrated inorder to save the climate from harmful things, it is celebrated to create an awareness in the society so that we can switch to paper bags from plastic bags.

2. Paper bags are biodegradable, reusable and recyclable.

3. As for stray animals plastic bags are more harmful and suffocating, paper bags pose lesser chances of suffocation.

4. Paper bags are inexpensive and can be composted at home and they are also easy to handle.

5. It helps to conserve natural resources.

So from today stop using plastic bags, use paper or cloth bags to save your Mother Earth and to save yourself from more natural calamities. We are already facing so many things, so why not take an initiative from today and make things better.

WORLD’S FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE TESTED SUCCESSFULLY

A university in Russia tested the world’s first COVID 19 vaccine successfully. Russia’s university named Gamaliel institute of epidemiology and microbiology began the clinical trials for testing the vaccine on 18^th June. It was tested on volunteers at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. This information was confirmed by the director of the Institute for translational medicine and biotechnology, Mr Vadim Tarasov. He further went on to say that the first group of volunteers would be discharged on the Wednesday of the second of July.

The director of the institute of medical parasitology, tropical and vector-borne diseases at Sechenov University, Mr Alexander Lukashev, stated that the objective of the study conducted was to the vaccines is safe for human health. He further said that the objective was successfully achieved.

“The safety of the vaccine is confirmed. It corresponds to the safety of those vaccines that are currently on the market,” Lukashev told Sputnik.

The further vaccine development plan is already being determined by the developer’s strategy, including the complexity of the epidemiological situation with the virus and the possibility of scaling up production, Lukashev added.

“Sechenov University in a pandemic situation acted not only as an educational institution but also as a scientific and technological research centre that is able to participate in the creation of such important and complex products as drugs … We worked with this vaccine, starting with preclinical studies and protocol development, and clinical trials are currently underway,” Tarasov noted.

After over six months of novel coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 12 million people and killed over 500,000 all over the world, the clinical trials of the purported world’s first coronavirus vaccine have been successfully completed.

While over 7 million virus-infected people have recovered so far, scientists and other healthcare systems worldwide are trying to upgrade the production and development of a potential Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

Gilead Sciences, Oxford University’s researchers and American biotech company Moderna are at the forefront of developing a Covid-19 vaccine. However, Gilead Sciences Inc. said earlier that an analysis showed its antiviral remdesivir helped reduce the risk of death in severely ill COVID-19 patients, but cautioned that rigorous clinical trials were needed to confirm the benefit.

Moreover, BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate is expected to be ready to seek regulatory approval by the end of 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing the German biotech firm’s chief executive officer. The experimental vaccine, which showed promise against the fast-spreading respiratory illness in early-stage human testing, is expected to move into a large trial involving 30,000 healthy participants later this month, pending regulatory nod.

Russia is the first nation to successfully complete the human trials of the corona virus vaccine. It has been many months since the deadly virus shook the world with its intensity. Other countries are also trying their best to find a beneficial solution and put an end to this pandemic. I really hope we can all overcome these testing times and hope for a brighter future.

SHOR IN THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

The Krakatoa volcanic eruption in Indonesia created the loudest sound ever reported at 180 dB in the year 1883. Do you know what’s louder than that? My mind thinking, producing thoughts faster than the blink of an eye. ‘Writer must be some mad scientist solving scientific equations in her brain’, one might think. On the contrary, the equations my brain analyses are the thousand possibilities of one single situation.

Everyone is looking at me. They are talking about me. Is it my hair? Is it the shirt I’m wearing? I think the world knows about that one time when I mispronounced the word ‘laminate’ as ‘lemonade’ in 6^th grade. This is it. Life gave me lemons and the lemonade I made is SOUR.

An organ made of soft tissues and approximately two clenched fists in size has the power to make and break one’s life is a big accusation on our Brains. But who is to be blamed then?

I would like to someday adopt a Fish and a Cat and a Dog. But what if the cat eats the fish and the dog chases the cat and then they all flee my house and I’m left alone with my thoughts again. You would call it unnecessary paranoia and you would be right. I don’t really reside in my body; I’m simply paying rent to it. This rented house of mine has two windows, I call them my eyes. I guess my mind is the prison and I’m never going to get out of it.

I’m a visitor inside my brain and now my thoughts have chained me to my bed and I’m stuck. Hello, is anybody there, you got keys to my cell?

Wait a minute there is nobody here miles and miles away then who really locked the cell from outside? I give it one small push and it opens with a creak. The door to my prison was never locked? I was staying there voluntarily!

The Brain is powerful. How many doors in your life, you think are locked but aren’t? How many times have you been stuck in the mental prison of overthinking? Something that really had a simple solution. There is an old African line that says, ‘When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.’ Cerebral Cortex is that part of the brain which produces thoughts, the capability of imagining things beyond reality. It is the strongest force in your life. It will force its opinions on you – ‘you are not good enough’, ‘you cannot do it’, ‘what will they say about you?’,’ stop, you are not made for this.’

Dear Mind of mine, thank you for your opinions but every overthinking thought you produce is equivalent to nothing. We bring it to life with the attention we give it. Stressful thoughts knock on our doors and we tell them ‘STAY OUT’. But that makes them knock louder.

BUT HOW DO I CONTROL AND DESTROY THOSE THOUGHTS?

The secret is – don’t mind the mind. This is the natural state of existence. This is the law of universe. In Science, the first law of Thermodynamics states that, ‘You cannot create or destroy energy but you can transfer it from one thing to another.’ Thoughts will arise and yes you will fill them but you don’t have to fight, control or defeat you mind. Just stay neutral in between those thoughts and it will dissolve into silence. A peaceful state of mind.

Or we can order a pizza and transfer the energy we spend on overthinking into the process of eating this slice of cheesy heaven. But why does the circle pizza come in a square box? And why is a slice of pizza triangle? Did mathematicians invent the pizza? Is pizza the SYMBOL OF ILLUMINATI?! WHAT IF…..and just like that the writer fell into her rabbit hole of overthinking and the Shor (noise) in her Cerebral Cortex was louder than the Shor in her city.

Sanitary Napkins – Problems Of Usage In India

“Menstrual blood is the only source of blood that is not traumatically induced. Yet in modern society, this is the most hidden blood, the one so rarely spoken of and almost never seen, except privately by women.”

– Judy Grahn

Throughout our society there is a common lack of knowledge about menstruation. There are also a lack of resources needed for proper hygiene during times of menstruation. These factors lead to a lack of understanding about what the menstruation process actually is. Fear is developed over the topic of menstruation because of the various misconceptions that surround it. Advertisements and commercials are greatly impacted by the high levels of fear and stigma attached to the menstruation. This causes them to lack anything relevant to real life experiences and often encourage secrecy around menstruating. Ways this is conveyed include, emphasizing no leakage and using liquids that aren’t red to display blood. With all these social media influences, there is a consistent level of menstruation taboo because people are being exposed and primed to think that menstruation should be kept secret and they are often led to believe the opposite of what real life women experience during menstruation. The taboo around menstruation continues due to the absense of education, realistic promotion and resources.

Research indicates that these menstrual taboos have negative effects on women, specifically their likelihood to self-objectify. One article looked into the menstrual knowledge and taboo advertisements and their effects on self-objectification. The researchers found that the lower level of menstrual knowledge a woman had the more likely they were to self objectify. They also found that women with negative attitudes toward menstruation were more likely to self objectify than those with positive attitudes.

Menstrual hygiene still continues to be amongst the most challenging developmental issues that women face today, especially in the developing countries like India, the mindsets, customs and institutional biases prevent women from getting the menstrual health care they need.

Let us have a look on the problems of using sanitary napkins in general :

Physical aspect

The pads are scented which can cause infections in vagina.
The skin around the vagina is thin with numerous blood vessels and chemicals can directly enter the bloodstream from the
Prolonged contact with SAPs has been also linked with skin reactions such as rashes.
Synthetic and plastic restricts air flow and traps heat and dampness, causing yeast and bacteria growth in the vaginal area.

The environmental aspect

According to Solid Waste Management(SWM) rules, sanitary pads waste comes under the category of Domestic Hazardous Waste.

As the use of sanitary pads increases, so does the amount of sanitary waste generated. The primary concern, for now, is how these pads are disposed of and their impact on the environment.

According to a joint report by Water Aid India and the Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India, depending on the materials used in the manufacture of the sanitary pads, it could take up to 800 years to decompose a single sanitary napkin.

Right now there is no separate way prescribed to dispose of them. So, out it goes with all the household garbage. This causes serious health issues for the waste pickers when they segregate the waste; exposing them to infection-causing microbes, leading to diseases like Hepatitis, E.coli infection, Salmonella infection, Typhoid, etc. Recently, the Red Dot Campaign was launched in Pune which encouraged women to throw sanitary pads in a ‘red dot marked’ packet, so that they could be easily identified and segregated.

The used pads are then finally moved to landfills on the outskirts of the city, where they stay for hundreds of years. SAPs are petroleum-based materials that do not degrade easily. Let’s just say, a pad used by a woman will not be decomposed in her lifetime or her kids or their kids. Now, imagine the extent of plastic pollution we are creating/have created, especially when one pad is said to be equivalent to 4 plastic bags. Every sanitary napkin carries two grams of non-biodegradable plastic. Multiply that with an average of 8-10 pads per menstruating women every month and let that sink in.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16 report, around 48% rural women use sanitary napkin while in urban areas the percentage is around 77%. Recent data provided by Menstrual Health Alliance India states that menstrual waste collected across the country, primarily consisting of sanitary napkins which is disposed of as routine waste along with other household garbage, is 45%.

According to the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2,000 soiled napkins and blood-soaked cotton are disposed of after segregation into biodegradable and non-biodegradable components. However, the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, says that items contaminated with blood and body fluids, including cotton, dressings, soiled plaster casts, lines and bedding, are bio-medical waste and should be incinerated, autoclaved or microwaved to destroy pathogens. The longer used pads are kept in the open and kept in contact with air, the more they are prone towards becoming pathogenic.

Now, throwing light on the problems of using sanitary napkins specifically in India :

Genital hygiene

The study found an urgent need for intensive health education on genital hygiene. According to the Census of India 2011, more than 41% of the households do not have bathrooms and of those that do, 16% of the rooms did not have a roof.

Because of the poor conditions of the bathroom or lack of proper toilet facilities, women in rural areas do not have the privacy to wash their genitals.

Poor genital hygiene has been found to be an important factor for the development of dysplasia and cervical cancer, and the use of pads made from reused cloth increases that risk, studies have shown.

Poverty reasons

Many people below the poverty line cannot afford the sanitary napkins. Homeless people, mendicants are deprived of the facility of using sanitary napkins. Though many government schemes are introduced to give free supply of sanitary pads in rural areas. Still there are people who use piece of cloth, rags, ash, or husk.

Lack of Sanitary Napkins and Adequate Facilities

In a city, availing a sanitary napkin for a woman aware of menstrual hygiene is a normalised process. Not only are sanitary napkins available in pharmacies and grocery stores in cities, they are commercialised via advertisements so that they are treated as any other product. In rural areas, sanitary napkins are found with difficulty. Most girls rely on home-grown or other readily available material, the latter often being unhygienic and unsanitary. Only 2 to 3 per cent women in rural India are estimated to use sanitary napkins. The lack of demand results in storekeepers not stocking up on sanitary pads. This results in women resorting to unhygienic practices during their menstrual cycle, such as filling up old socks with sand and tying them around waists to absorb menstrual blood, or taking up old pieces of cloth and using them to absorb blood. Such methods increase chances of infection and hinder the day-to-day task of a woman on her period.

Superstitions & Lack of Awareness

Lack of awareness makes for a major problem in India’s menstrual hygiene scenario. Indian Council for Medical Research’s 2011-12 report stated that only 38 per cent menstruating girls in India spoke to their mothers about menstruation. Many mothers were themselves

unaware what menstruation was, how it was to be explained to a teenager and what practices could be considered as menstrual hygiene management. Schools were not very helpful either as schools in rural areas refrained from discussing menstrual hygiene. A 2015 survey by the Ministry of Education found that in 63% schools in villages, teachers never discussed menstruation and how to deal with it in a hygienic manner.

There are also many superstitions regarding menstruation which stops woman from using sanitary napkins.

Lack of penetration & poor quality

India has one of the lowest levels of penetration of sanitary pad usage in the world. At 20%, India lags behind Thailand, Indonesia and China, all of which have over 50% usage. Social norms, cultural taboos and superstitions associated with menstruation have meant that Indian women continue to rely on unhygienic practices.

The quality of napkins used in a government scheme which was to promote menstrual hygiene was poor in Odisha, Rajasthan and Kerala. This means that they had a low absorption rate or inadequate dimensions that increased the likelihood of leakage. Sanitary napkins reportedly ran out of stock in Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra. However, a satisfactory uptake of sanitary napkins was noted in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to the 10th common review mission (CRM), an annual progress report published by the National Health Mission (NHM) in 2016.

The uptake of sanitary napkins under the scheme was low in Himachal Pradesh and Odisha due to mediocre quality. Delhi was reported to have faced an irregular supply of sanitary napkins, as per the ninth CRM report in 2015. Moreover, no sanitary napkins were distributed in Chhattisgarh in that particular period, revealed a 2015 Comptroller Auditor General (CAG).

From a ban on advertisements on sanitary napkins in 1990, to a full-fledged feature film, PadMan, on a low-cost sanitary napkin entrepreneur in 2018, India has indeed come a long way. It was eight years back in 2010, when the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Freeday Pad Scheme, a pilot project to provide sanitary napkins at subsidised rates for rural girls. The scheme was launched in 152 districts across 20 states and sanitary napkins were sold to adolescent girls at the rate of Rs. 6 per pack of six napkins by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). The estimated cost for the entire scheme was Rs 70 crore.

A year later, the Union government launched the SABLA scheme across 2015 districts in the country. The scheme aimed at improving health conditions for adolescent girls with menstrual hygiene as an important component. Two years later, under the then ongoing Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, focus on menstrual hygiene was added as a key component of the sanitation mission. In 2014, the Union government launched the Rashtriya Kishor Swashthya Karyakram, aimed at improving the health and hygiene of an estimated 243 million adolescents. Menstrual hygiene was also included as an integral part of the programme.

Under the ongoing Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, menstrual hygiene has been given high importance. The Swachh Bharat (Gramin) guidelines explicitly state that funds allocated for information, education and communication (IEC) maybe spent on bettering awareness on menstrual hygiene in villages. Adequate knowledge of menstrual hygiene and development of local sanitary napkin manufacturing units is encouraged by Swachh Bharat Mission (rural) and self-help groups are to help in propagating such efforts.

Many Government schemes are introducing, which each passing day people are becoming more conscious about the menstrual hygiene. We can now see a ray of hope.

‘SANITARY NAPKIN’ the cancer causing agent

Most Women Don't Know The Dirty Secrets of Feminine Hygiene ...

A sanitary napkin is an absorbent item worn in the underwear when menstruating, bleeding after giving birth, recovering from gynecologic surgery, experiencing miscarriage or abortion. A sanitary napkin is used to absorb a blood flow from vagina. A menstrual pad comes under the category of feminine hygiene product that is worn external of vagina, whereas tampons and menstrual cups are inserted in the vaginal opening. The napkin/pad has to be changed several times in 24 hours based on menstrual flow. In general, one should change her pads after around 5-6 hours of wearing it. If you wear the same pad for long time( more than 6 hours), then there of chances of developing vaginal infections (no matter how your flow is). Prolonged use of sanitary napkins in a day results in overgrowth of staphylococcus aureus bacteria in your vagina. Its commonly called toxic shock syndrome. Some symptoms of toxic shock are dizziness, fever, diarrhea.

In olden days, there are no sanitary napkin or tampons or anything to use during vaginal bleeding. The only choice they had is, to keep the used old cloth (folded) in their vagina externally. They use clothes and wash and then dry them for their next use as well. The cotton used in the production of sanitary napkin (pads) contains herbicides and pesticides. pesticides and herbicides are linked to thyroid malfunction, infertility and other health problems. Cotton is not naturally ultra-white. Because some girls prefer something that is purely white to make them feel they’re putting on something fresh and clean. Sanitary pad companies use chemicals to bleach the cotton. The material used to manufacture most of the pads are derived from petroleum and forestry.

There is no research to attest that the sanitary napkins sold in India are safe. But the use of some chemicals in the feminine hygiene product raise question over how safe they really are. It’s a sanitary napkin. it’s purpose is not only to absorb, hygiene matters a lot. Hygiene parameters of the product, of how safe they are, should be disclosed on the respective packets. Unfortunately, people chooses sanitary napkins based on the cost, design, and packing. But the main consideration should be hygiene. Unconsciously, we are paying a very high price for being neat freaks. Some women may think that it’s normal to have allergies and itchiness, which is a misconception. AT times, the rash can be due to the result of irritation from the cheap fragrances (chemical soup, laced with artificial colors) and chemicals used in the manufacturing of sanitary pads. Some of the chemicals used in sanitary pads are

Polyester
Polyethylene(PET)
Propylene glycol(PEG)
Dioxin
Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins(PCDDs)
polychlorinated dibenzofurans(PCDFs)
Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs)

Napkins are made to absorb wetness. That’s why aside from cotton, they also contain rayon, a synthetic fiber, which is also dangerous because they also contain dioxin. Basically, when rayon is bleached, it releases dioxin.

Some shocking facts of sanitary napkins:

Almost all the conventional sanitary pads are mimicked to look like pure cotton. But that’s not true, since some pads are made of waste paper and wood pulps.
Since the white color is associated with purity, the waste papers are processed and bleached with chlorine to make it look sterile.
It may look pristine and harmless, but the bleached waste paper and wood pulp will still have the residues and by-products of bleaching. The two of deadliest toxins-dioxin and trihalomethane.
Dioxins are earmarked as No.1 human carcinogen– a substance that causes cancer in living tissues.
Dioxin is banned in early 2001 because of its ability to cause cancer in ovaries, bladder, breasts and uterus.
Dioxin also cause pelvic inflammatory disease and Endometriosis. The Endometriosis Association of America correlates the very high incidence of Endometriosis to dioxin in sanitary napkins.
Dioxin can also cause infertility, hormonal imbalances and multiple menstrual disorders.

On a average, a women uses 12,000-17,000 disposable sanitary pads/tampons in her life time. Today, women are forced to believe that what they use is pure and made up of pure cotton by ceaseless advertisements through television, internet and social medias. Chemicals on your skin may be worse than eating them. Sanitary napkins are often thrown into ponds, rivers, lakes, contaminating the water bodies and the organisms live there, or thrown in the open, choking drains and polluting the soil. While the plastic in sanitary pads doesn’t degrade easily, the menstrual waste consist of blood and body fluids, is another source of pollution that can lead to deadly disease. Trash collector often handle these sanitary products with their bare hands and can easily become infected, in case the blood belongs to an HIV infected person.

When we choose a sanitary napkin we need to be conscious of what it does to our body as well as the environment after disposing off.

Who delivers the Amazon cardboard boxes???

Cardboard boxes that have been used for generations and thrived in the age of e-commerce continue to flourish or could the cardboard box be facing a new challenger? Cardboard boxes are a very big deal within the U.S. The United States is the Saudi Arabia of trees. Someone’s going to make the first box and that’s almost inevitably a mill generally in the Southeast United States. China certainly doesn’t have trees and India the extent they do have trees they’re not necessarily the right types of trees and shouldn’t be dedicated towards making boxes for us. The box business grew rapidly up through 1999 when the U.S. coordinated box market had its peak shipment. Starting in the early 2000s the U.S. corrugated box market faced multiple economic obstacles.

The great recession dragged on box demand and even after the recession demand continued to slow for commodity like soda and for the boxes that transport them. The move to digital devices also coincided with a drop in demand for copy paper and newsprint. But box makers found a grace in e-commerce sales and Amazon sale specifically which were growing at mostly integer rates within the recession and post-recession years. Those e-commerce sales have become a significant market for the containerboard industry. In 2018 told a U.S. e-commerce sales were estimated to be $512 billion almost 50 percent higher than in 2015. Amazon captured 48 percent of those sales. Most estimates are that e-commerce accounts for about 10 percent of the U.S. box market. Amazon accounts for close to 5 percent of U.S. box demand. By our estimates they are clearly the single largest box user in the US. International Paper with a third of the market I think does closer to 50 percent of all the amazon boxes evidently they got a bit more share than perhaps some of the smaller players.

Amazon said they deal with most of the big box makers across the U.S. according to analysts. Those manufacturers include International Paper, WestRock, Packaging Corporation of America and Georgia-Pacific. Some investors were turning to these companies as a way to invest in the e-commerce giant without having to purchase Amazon’s pricey stock. People didn’t really start talking about buying International Paper or WestRock as a secondary investment in Amazon till about the last five years. Despite the boost from e-commerce sales the box business still isn’t growing all that much. And since 2018 their stocks have mostly underperformed the S&P 500. In 2018, 69 percent of International Papers total revenue came from the box business and that sales volume has been mostly flat for the past five years. Although the big producers sold less boxes in 2018 than in 2000, industry consolidation has dramatically narrowed the fields.

The handful of big players remaining are based in Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia and Lake Forest, Illinois. Analysts have told CNBC that substantial industry mergers have made it easier to collectively hike prices and those price increases have helped drive revenue. There are portions of the business that are in indisputable secular decline but if you’re in the brown part of the business, making these boxes, that’s been some very welcome growth. But those extra boxes piling up on people’s doorsteps have led to a backlash from disgruntled customers who are sick of receiving golf ball sized products in supersized boxes. It used to be that you’d order a toothbrush and it would come in three giant boxes and you’d say to yourself, what is this? Well, Amazon is trying to rectify that by using fewer boxes and using other types of packaging where appropriate. With e-commerce packaging underfire Amazon decided to change the way they do shipping. In 2008, Amazon introduced the Frustration Free Packaging program. It aims to reduce the extra packaging created when retail packaged products are placed inside Amazon boxes to be shipped. Instead, products certified in the program that are roughly the size of a blender or larger need to be packaged in their own ready to ship boxes. And those boxes also need to be made of 100 percent recyclable materials. For customers that means that the packaging is easy to recycle and the box is easy to open without all the excess packaging materials.

Amazon offered vendors an incentive of a dollar per shipment to modify their packaging. And starting August 1st 2019 Amazon is charging a $1.99 penalty for each product shipped that needs to be reboxed. And basically the point of this deadline is for Amazon to get out of the business of packaging. They want their vendors to send them boxes that Amazon doesn’t have to touch or rebox. Over the last two years we have invented two different kinds of flexible mailers. One is the blue and white all plastic mailer. We’ve recently launched in the last six, eight months a paper padded mailer that’s actually fully recyclable with the paper stream. Amazon said they made about 10 million shipments using the paper padded mailer and depending on the month the plastic mailer is used about 20 to 30 percent of the time. So really when we come down to deciding if the product is of the size it can go on a mailer, it’s not likely to be damaged by going in the mailer, the mailer is always the better fitting option and frankly is easier for the customer to choose to recycle than breaking down a corrugate box. We’re driving in that direction for many different reasons. But those plastic mailers generally are not accepted in municipal recycling programs and you’ll need to bring them to a store that accepts plastic bags. The latest stats from the EPA show that corrugated boxes were recycled at a rate of 92 percent in 2015 while plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled at a rate of 13 percent in 2015.

When you think about what is the greatest pain point for the consumer after having it get there safely arrive on time people are concerned about receiving something that is plastic or made a poly because of the environmental concerns. Some waste management companies say plastic packaging also causes problems for the recycling systems. Plastic mailers get caught in the recycling machinery slowing down the process and raising the costs for recyclers and sometimes contaminating entire bundles. Until Scotty on the Enterprise can beam the products from the warehouse to your living room I think Amazon’s going to be good for the corrugated business. I think there’s going to be noise I think you’re going to have challenges from time to time where people say, “Should we try and the plastic pouch?”, in the long run plastic is going to be on the wrong side of history. Because Amazon is a market leader in the U.S. e-commerce sector any move away from cardboard to plastic mailers could signal a shift for the entire industry. The corrugated box could be about to undergo a major facelift. We’re seeing some major trends among consumers and what they’re expecting from e-commerce and the first one is actually this desire for increased engagement with the package. In 2015, Amazon partnered with Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment to ship orders in bright yellow delivery boxes featuring cartoon characters from the movie Minions. The boxes promoting the movie and a special Amazon U.R.L. dedicated to shopping for merchandise from the film.

Un-Fair and Un-Lovely.

How empowering was it to watch Indians hold the “BLACK LIVES MATTER” placard in one hand supporting the protests in the United States and with the other hand applying a cream of poisonous chemicals to their naturally gifted skin. In this black and white world why do we hate brown? From the soil that gives birth to plants to the earthen pots which store our precious waters to the wood that burns into the flames of tomorrow’s ashes -brown is everywhere.

“Beta dhoop me mat khelo, tan ho jaaoge!”, yells the Indian parent while some family in the Europe takes their sons and daughters to play on the beach and get some tan. A land that prays Lord Krishna who is described to be as dark as the thunderous rain clouds and yet portrays him blue because anything is better than black anything is better than brown anything is better than dark.

Etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit word ‘Krishna’ means black or dark. At times, it is also translated as “all attractive”. According to Vedas, Lord Krishna is a dark-skinned God. Even in traditional patta chitras (cloth art) in Odisha, Lord Krishna and Vishnu are always shown having black skin.

50,000 years ago when our ancestors migrated from the North to the African and Asian continents, they were exposed to the UV rays of the Sun which is saturated at the equator and the tropic of Capricorn. Those days’ sunscreens were not invented hence due to evolution and the wonderful science of human body’s biology it produced melanin under the skin which acted as a natural sun screen. Skin creating its own protective layers, how cool is that?

But we as Indians would rather prefer skin burns and skin cancers than having a healthy skin. When my mother read the matrimony classified newspapers for my elder sibling’s marriage, her face falls down as she looks at those advertisements. No no-hold your horses, it’s not what you are thinking, everybody is progressive nowadays, nobody is asking for dowry. All they ask is – “seeking a fair bride for my son”, “fair and handsome boy with a fit body”, “girl should be white toned and open minded”, “boy should not be dark and not restrict our daughter from wearing her choice of clothing.” (no dowry).

To parents who are afraid because – log kya kahenge? Maa lets not look for brides or grooms who are fair, let’s look for individuals who treat people fairly. Let’s not buy besan (gram flour) for face masks rather let’s lather some potatoes in them and fry it in oil as we watch the fair besan turn into a beautiful crispy brown tasty pakodas (fritters). Fairness creams or home remedies for instant glow neither teach us to be a human with a clean heart, a heart free from the ignorance. Instead of handing a tube of glow and lovely to your loved one’s let’s make them stand in front of the mirror holding their head high because any shade is beautiful any shape is beautiful any scar is beautiful. Before teaching to love others let’s start by loving ourselves. It’s time we realise love comes in all shapes and shades, it’s time we loved all shapes and shades.

Forget snow white, I’m chocolate brown, I will write my own fairy-tale. A tale of every brown Indian girl and boy who is torn apart by the expectations of society and yet stands proud with a personality and smile beautiful than any white skinned magazine covers. To every Bollywood song that calls the actress “Gori” I would like to say – “Gore Rang Pe Na itna Gumaan kar. Gora Rang Do Din mein Dhal Jaayega” – don’t show such pride of your fair skin, the fairness will fade in time. What will remain is the virtues, beliefs, kindness and opinions .

Changing the name from fair to glow will not enlighten the young minds but it will give light to the years of colourism and discrimination to continue its course in every generation to come. Brown is beautiful and so is every colour ever discovered.

MENTAL HEALTH; THE TRUTH

HOW IT STARTED

MENTAL HEALTH had been trending across social media platforms after the sudden demise of the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput who chose to end his life. This incident occurred on 14^th June 2020, when India was still under lockdown. Had this happened in a normal situation it would not have garnered this amount of attention probably. But this sent shock waves throughout the country as the actor had always been known to have a smiling face and charming self. There was no clue that he was so unhappy with himself and his life. His death awakes many questions on mental health, suffering, depression and nepotism in Bollywood. Many big names in Bollywood were trolled and blamed for indirectly killing him. Everyone on social media seemed concerned on mental health and even offered a lending ear to their friends and followers. They spoke about how mental health is as important as physical wellbeing and how everyone should support each other and spread only love and no hate. These were the same people who later on started trolling the Bollywood industry, star kids and other big names of the industry. Hypocrisy was very evident. Another disturbing aspect was that the actor’s family was not given privacy. News reporters were practically thrusting microphones and cameras under the nose of the family members of the late actor not allowing them time to even come to terms with their loss and grieve. The irony was that on one side everyone was trying to be friendly, understanding and wanting to spread only positivity and love, and, on the other side trolling and blaming people and not giving space to the family members. The most traumatic part according to me was that the pictures of the late actor’s dead body started circulating on the internet. The police department had to officially announce that this is immoral and anyone found circulating these pictures will be punished. Some youtubers and news channels took it a level higher and started demonstrating how Sushant would have possibly hanged himself. This was not it, his personal life and relationships were also brought under public scrutiny this just made everything worse.

AN INSIGHT INTO MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH is still something which is not completely understood and accepted by our society. It is not given the attention and importance it deserves. According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is defined as –

“Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stress of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his/her community.”

Any person no matter the age, gender, community, society, etc. is at a risk of developing a mental disorder. Financial status, fame or luxuries does not guarantee a good mental heath. Even a very successful and ambitious individual can develop a mental disorder.

MYTHS

There are some myths and superstitions regarding mental health that needs to be popped.

Children are not affected by mental disorders: this is a big lie. As I have mentioned before, mental health affects anyone whatever the age or gender of that person. Children can also be affected based on their upbringing and their surroundings. The family background and environment will take a toll on the mental status of the child.

People with mental health issues are violent and unpredictable: we often have this misunderstanding that people who smile and laugh are happy and the ones who are sad are depressed. This is very wrong. Many studies have shown that people who are depressed tend to laugh at silly things and always try to have a smile on. They are friendly and jovial and in no means have an intention to hurt others.

Mental disorders are incurable: with proper medication and help mental disorders can be brought under control if not cured completely. But many people have been cured over time, a living and known example is actress Deepika Padukone. The right support and help can get you out of anything.

Personality weakness or character flaws cause mental issues, people can snap out of it if they want to: this is one of the most common myths that people have. Being lazy has nothing to do with mental health. Depressed people do not wish to stay that way, they do want to come out of it and enjoy life. They try their very best to be happy.

Mental health issues are rare: 1 in 8 people are affected with mental health issues. Most of the times we don’t realise that we have mental disorders or chose to ignore it, which is very wrong.

Having a mental illness means you’re crazy: this is completely false. Having mental health problems does not in any way imply you’re crazy, it just means you’re vulnerable.

TYPES OF DISORDERS

Here is the list of a few common types of mental disorders.

Anxiety disorder
Mood disorder
Personality disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Eating disorder

CONCLUSION

All things considered, I would request every one to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing. In these trying times, we should support each other and move forward. Do not hesitate to seek help from professional and please don’t self-diagnose. Remember NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

REFERENCES

WHO

NIH

Diet

We have grown up listening to the term ‘balanced diet’ in science. It refers to a diet that has all the essential nutrients and minerals that will keep us healthy. Having a balanced diet has been encouraged by our childhood. After all, it is important in keeping our health well.A person intakes appropriate amounts of proteins, minerals, and nutrients in a balanced diet. It is quite necessary for the smooth functioning of our body. If we consume a balanced diet regularly, we will always remain healthy. It lessens any chances of falling ill. Moreover, a balanced diet also boosts our immunity system.

Importance of a Balanced Diet

Most people believe that a balanced diet is definitely the key to a healthy lifestyle. It is rightly believed as even scientists say so. When we always consume a balanced diet, we will maintain our physical as well as mental health. A balanced diet must contain the proper foods that are consumed in apt quantities. A perfect balanced diet is composed of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, high fiber content, vitamins, and more. Moreover, nowadays the trend of junk food is here to stay. People are not taking a balanced diet rather eating all sorts of harmful foods. It is more important than ever to tell people about the importance of a balanced diet. You cannot merely exercise and expect your body to stay fit. A balanced diet is crucial for that.

Most importantly, it is called a ‘balanced’ diet because it requires all the foods to be eaten in a balanced manner. For instance, if you intake large amounts of carbohydrates and a little amount of protein, then that will not be called a balanced diet, even if you are eating the right foods. The balance needs to be maintained for that.

How to Have a Balanced Diet?

One can always adopt a healthy lifestyle by starting to consume a balanced diet. Firstly, one must definitely increase the amount of liquid to consume in a day. Fluids are very important for the human body to function healthily. As almost 80% of our body is filled with water, we need it for good metabolism. Thus, start with drinking at least two to three liters of water every day. Moreover, try cutting down on the consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol, and other such addictive liquids. Furthermore, one must always eat fresh vegetables and fruits. As fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of fiber and vitamins, we must consume them for good body growth. Try to avoid eating deep-fried or overcooked food as it loses all its nutrients. The balanced diet must have the five essential elements, i.e. bitter, sour, sweet, pungent and salty. Also, the emphasis is on fresh fruits because the processed or packed ones do not have nutrients.

Most importantly, always chew your food patiently. Do not just swallow it after chewing for four-five times. This way your food won’t get digested properly. Savor the food slowly and steadily. Next, do not eat in excess. You must know when to draw the line and stop when you don’t have the appetite. Therefore, we see how a balanced diet will keep you healthy and fit. It will improve the quality of your life and keep all the illnesses away.

The conflict of Kashmir…

On February 14th 2019, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of Indian security forces. “We’re getting reports of multiple casualties in a roadside…” He killed at least 40 Indian soldiers here in Kashmir. “The deadliest attack the region has seen this century.” The bomber was part of an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan. “Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for that attack.” 12 days later, India carried out airstrikes in Northwestern Pakistan. Then Pakistan shot down at least one Indian aircraft around here. “The most serious escalation in years.” Kashmir is one of the most disputed places on Earth. Over the course of 70 years, it’s been at the center of three wars fought between two massive armies. It’s heavily occupied by more than half a million Indian troops and a deadly collection of militias and terrorist groups.

Kashmir is the stage for the relentless conflict between India and Pakistan. But focusing on the two countries can obscure what’s really at stake: The voice of Kashmiris who are caught in a vicious cycle of violence. Kashmir is one of the most strategic places in the world, where 3 powerful countries collide: India, Pakistan, and China. China invaded and took this slice of Kashmir from India. And was given this one by Pakistan. India and Pakistan control these parts, but lay claim to more. This region is at the center of a brutal conflict over these disputed borders. So it’s important to start when they were being drawn. In the mid-1800s, India was a patchwork of several hundred provinces and princely states under British rule. A century later, when British India won independence, the British left and hastily decided to split the region into two. These areas would be a new Muslim-majority country, Pakistan. And this would be the mostly Hindu, but secular, India. The partition was bloody. “Communal hatred flares up within the Punjab.” “1 million people become refugees overnight.” “They flee from savagery and butchery that has never been exceeded, even in India’s stormy history.” Amid the chaos, some princely states were given the choice to join either country. In most cases, the ruling monarchs followed the will of their people. But this state, called “Jammu & Kashmir” was different. It was right along this new border and had a Muslim-majority population, but was ruled by a Hindu monarch. When asked to pick a side, the ruler chose to stay neutral Fearing that the monarch would join India, the Kashmiri population rebelled here in 1947 Armed tribesmen from Pakistan soon joined the fight.

The monarch turned to India for military help and in exchange agreed to join them, which sparked the first Indo-Pakistan war in Kashmir. “Continuing thus increased the threat to world peace and brought the dispute to the eye of the United Nations . The UN Security Council brokered a ceasefire in 1949, which established this line with Pakistan controlling this side and India this one. It also asked Pakistani tribesmen to withdraw and Indian troops to follow, so that Kashmir could hold a direct vote to decide its own future. But neither held up their end of the deal. Pakistan argued that Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population rightfully belonged with them. While India insisted that Kashmir was handed over to them by the Hindu monarch. So they doubled down and added Kashmir to their constution. Both countries continued to tighten their grip around it for many years . “Kashmir. Fighting is going on and heavy casualties in men and equipment have been inflicted on the aggressor.”

In 1965, the second India-Pakistan war broke out in Kashmir. Thousands of people were killed between the huge armies on both sides. A ceasefire ended the war, but didn’t change this line. Kashmir was kept divided and occupied. And another war broke out in 1971. This time the focus wasn’t in Kashmir — it was in East Pakistan. Here, India helped rebels fight for independence and dealt Pakistan a devastating defeat. This region became a new country, Bangladesh, and Pakistan lost its eastern half. This made Kashmir more important than ever: It became one of the most militarized places on Earth, as India and Pakistan deployed planes, tanks, artillery, and soldiers along the Line of Control. On the political front, in ’87, India reportedly rigged an election, declaring a pro-India party as the winner. Now this was a big turning point for many Kashmiris, who felt they were again denied the chance to vote. Thousands took to the streets in Indian-controlled Kashmir to protest the occupation. But India met the movement for independence with harsh resistance. Which quickly escalated to more violence.
“In January security forces opened fire on demonstrating separatists, turning a two-year old struggling movement into a full-blown popular uprising.” “More than 600 people are killed in clashes between troops and separatists.” Kashmiri militias, just like the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, started recruiting Muslim youth to fight for independence. And increasingly attacked the Indian military. Pakistan saw an opportunity in this insurgency. They helped introduce a new kind of militant group: Radical Islamic fighters who fought for a more pro-Pakistan Kashmir. By the mid ’90s, these groups dominated the insurgency. India responded with incredible military force, deploying 500,000 troops to Kashmir. And they cracked down on militants and protestors. Unarmed civilians were killed and many more were forced to flee the violence. And in ’98 the stakes were raised yet again. “Today India conducted three underground nuclear tests.” “Pakistan today successfully conducted five nuclear tests.” Kashmir became a battleground between two nuclear-armed nations and another war broke out in 1999. “More evidence of the attacks being launched on the Indian-controlled area of Kargil.” “The past two days have seen a number of the fiercest fighting thus far .” “Militant Muslim fighters have also crossed over into some parts of Indian-ruled Kashmir.” The 1999 war ended with another ceasefire, but that did not stop either country.

Over the years, Pakistan’s militant groups got bolder and launched terror attacks in Kashmir and outside of Kashmir. In 2001, members of Lashkar-e-Taiba bombed India’s parliament building in New Delhi killing 14 people. And in 2008, 10 militants from the same group killed 174 people and wounded 300 in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Indian military cracked down in Kashmir, firing bullets and pellets on unarmed protesters. Leaving hundreds wounded and blind. This is the vicious cycle of violence. The Indian Army’s crackdown drives some Kashmiris to join Pakistani-backed militant groups, who carry out violence against the Indian forces. It’s a cycle that Kashmiri civilians are stuck in the middle of. Which brings us back to 2019. The suicide bomber was 19-year old Adil Ahmed Dar from Pulwama, Kashmir. According to his parents, in 2016, Indian police officers stopped him and humiliated him by forcing his face into the ground. The same year he was shot in the leg at a protest. The next year, Dar left home with his brothers, to join Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani-supported militia that radicalized him and trained him to be a suicide bomber. A year later, he drove explosives into an Indian military convoy. For more than 70 years India and Pakistan have driven a cycle of violence, retaliation, and exploitation in Kashmir. But beneath it all is the Kashmiri’s wish to make a choice. A wish that continues to be suppressed, again and again, by violence.

Role of Youth in Eradicating Corruption.

Once, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam has rightly said, ” If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are – Father , Mother and the teachers.”

The truth is, corruption is now a worldwide phenomenon. But according to me the fourth and the most important societal member who can eradicate corruption is the YOUTH of our country. The real war has to be fought against these social evils and as the leaders of tomorrow it is our prime responsibility and duty. Why should we create awareness in small children about such vicious crimes ? Because – Things sowed in the minds of young take deep roots.

In reality, it is very difficult to root out the infectious disease known as corruption which has become rampant in every field of life. However instead of bearing it we must challenge it. Some years ago when social activist Anna Hazare started the anti-corruption moment, the maximum crowd was of schhool and college students. Their support is what made the purpose of the protest a succesful one. But was that enough?

Mahatma Gandhi- the father of our nation has quoted ,” A small act of good deed can cause endless ripples.” Youth of our country should remain vigilant and never allow themselves to be exploited by this social evil. Many people say that nothing can be done, but I believe things can change. Of course individual efforts can bring excellence but only collective efforts can be delivered effectively.

In the modern era, our Government is slowly accepting the opinions of young minds and their needs have been put forth as priority.I truly believe that the modernisation and dinamic attitude in the Indian parliament will slowly yet steadily change the phase of our nation. According to me it is not only the duty of politicians and government officials to boycott curroption but also the duty of each and every individual to war against it.

Whenever the circumstances may come, public should not bribe school or college managements to accomodate seat and admissions. We should not bribe traffic police for violating the traffic rules. Corruption has made our country lawless. Muscle and money power has come the law. Our freedom fighters fought all their lives to give us freedom from physical slavery. However we as a educated generation are not free from financial slavery.

Gandhi led the non-violent fight against the british but the currency note which bears his photo is the medium of corruption. What an irony ! Corruption is a virus which can be eradicated if the youth of our country decides to do so. No matter how much the delay we must not pay the bribe at any cost.

Albert Einstein has rightfully said that, ” Evils in the world exist not only because of those who do them but also because of the one’s who just see them annd do nothing to prevent it.” Corruption is like cancer which starts at one part of the system and spreads to every part if not treated or cured at an early stage.

Many years ago we had tryst with destiny and now the time has come when we shall redeem our pledge as the responsible citzens of this nation. Let us wake the Anna Hazare in us and stand for ” India against Corruption”. Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realise we cannot eat money.

Even if the older generations saw corruption as an immortal enemy, we millenials think of it as a mortal one. So my dear youngsters, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your Country and World at large as one family.

U.S. Defense Economy…

The police, obviously, they’re not in the business of of profiting from private acquisitions. We’ve seen extensive lobbying from defense industries who produce educational videos for police who were spending hundreds of millions of dollars to directly lobby Congress for defense spending, but also for these police programs. The police also have their own lobbying organizations that work toward security budgets and equipment for local law enforcement. The National Fraternal Order of Police is one of them and has lobbied in favor of federal grants that are responsible for the militarization of police. It’s really a variety of Homeland Security grants administered by the cops office, the home, the Department of Homeland Security, etc., that have allowed departments to directly purchase military grade equipment. And this has been essential to stimulating a domestic law enforcement market for military contractors. In some cases, the folks who provide the equipment actually directly assist police departments in making these grants. There’s even a Web site that is sponsored by these defense contractors and other providers of police equipment to aid departments in the production of these grant proposals. This whole industry grew significantly during the War on Drugs campaign in the 1970s.

Congress passed a law that focused on incorporating cooperation between the military and the local law enforcement, particularly related to countering drug crimes and the war on drugs. Right. That was sort of the first connection between the military and domestic law enforcement. In 1989, Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, temporarily allowing the Department of Defense to transfer excess military equipment to federal and state agencies. The program continued until the 1997 National Defense Authorization Act expanded it to include local law enforcement and made it permanent under a new name. The 1033 program that began a massive transfer of military equipment to local police departments free of charge as long as they paid for shipping and maintenance. That 1033 program was the congressional authorization that allowed police departments to basically go online. There were catalogs of of weapons and vehicles and aircraft and watercraft and any kind of military surplus military equipment was available for the asking. And it was at no cost to law enforcement agencies.

Departments may purchase shotguns that are placed in police vehicles as a routine matter, and some departments are purchasing a variety of less lethal weaponry with their own resources. But when we see sniper equipment, armored vehicles, large amounts of body armor, this is often the result of federal spending. Since its inception, over 11,500 domestic law enforcement agencies have taken part in the ten thirty three program, receiving more than 7.4 billion dollars in military equipment. What you end up seeing is as a result of the 1033 program, local law enforcements continue to ramp up what we call special task force, like SWAT teams, gang task force, drug task force. Right. That all utilize this excess military material. In July 2014, Congressman Alan Grayson proposed that legislation to limit the transfer of certain weapons through the 1033 program. The amendment was met with immense opposition failing on a bipartisan vote of 62 to 355.
The people who voted not to change the 1033 program received 70 percent more money in campaign contributions from the defense sector than those who wanted restrictions. One of the really troubling developments about the involvement of the federal within the direct subsidy of purchases of militarized equipment is that this is often really about creating a new marketplace for defense contractors instead of really putting questions of public safety first. Besides providing free military equipment, the federal government also allows the police to purchase new equipment using their own funds. Under the 1122 program, it also gives local police departments the same discounts enjoyed by the federal government. We’ve seen instances across the country where local governing bodies, like boards of selectmen and mayors and city councilors are often unaware that tax dollars have been expended to acquire these kinds of military weapons and military vehicles. What makes both 1033 and 1122 programs so powerful is the lack of clear oversight and accountability.

The 1122 program, as an example , isn’t a grant or transfer program and thus isn’t required to be monitored by the federal . Meanwhile, the 1033 program has put lethal weapons within the hands of officers who haven’t any justifiable need for such equipment. We’ve seen instances reported of some small towns, even some college and university police departments that were acquiring military grade weapons with none demonstrable need for the utilization of these or the acquisition of these weapons. After the events in Ferguson, the Obama administration sought to tighten the 1033 program with additional requirements and restrictions after months of confrontations on America’s streets. President Obama today banned the federal government from giving some types of military equipment to local police. We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a sense like there’s an occupying force as against a force that’s a part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them. And this led to calls in Congress to eliminate 1033 and eventually measure an executive order by the Obama administration to place some limits on the type of equipment that could be used, things like bayonets and turreted armored vehicles.
The Obama administration also required police agencies to justify purchases of equipment considered potentially lethal. President Trump, however, rescinded all of those measures within two years in office. Obama administration made some efforts to increase accountability in auditing of this. But even then, the restrictions and oversight were quite limited. Under the Trump administration, there’s even less evidence of any oversight. Any sense that we know how this equipment is being used or whether or not officers are being properly trained and how to use it. In some cases, equipment transfer through these programs has simply vanished due to a lack of oversight and poor bookkeeping.

There’ve been a number of situations where there have been audits of local police departments to try to figure out what they’ve done with this equipment. And these departments have been unable to provide adequate records. We don’t know if this is a local sheriff taking home camping supplies or if this is about, you know, stuff that’s really gone missing, has been resold or has just simply been lost. Oftentimes, the militarization of the police force might be what’s distracting them from their original purpose, protecting our communities.

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History of Paper Bag

Advantages of using Paper Bags

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– Judy Grahn

Genital hygiene

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Importance of a Balanced Diet

How to Have a Balanced Diet?

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