Go Fragrant!

“A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting. ” ~ Christian Dior

Some women have a fixation for clothes, others, for shoes. Too much is never enough! For me, it's perfumes! My perfumania started somewhere in the early eighties and continues unabated....

Initially, when buying perfumes, I used to be unaware of the correlation between the perfume nomenclature and price. As time passed, I got to know many aspects, apart from just that. Here is a little note on the terms used on the perfume bottle that correlates the price with the value you get....

Strength     Term

Upto 3%     Eau Fraiche

3 – 5%        Eau de Cologne

5 – 10%      Eau de Toilette

10– 15%     Eau de Parfum

15 – 18%    Soie de Parfum

18 – 25%    Parfum (sometimes called Extrait) 

We often get a first impression of perfumes from the testers. As a result, we get a whiff of the top notes-the more volatile aromas that linger for 15-30 minutes. But it is the middle notes that actually define the fragrance. You will sense them right from the start, but they develop on the body 15-20 minutes later. The heaviest notes are called base notes, which enhance the staying power of the perfume.

I think the best way to pick up a perfume is to follow your own instinct rather than go by too much critical analysis. The purpose of perfumes is to enhance happiness so if a perfume makes you instantly joyful, that’s the one for you.

Over the years, I have used a number of brands, but certain fragrances that caught my fancy in the early years of my perfume-infatuation still remain my favourites.

Here are some perfumes I must have on my shelf:
24 Faubourg by Hermès
Calèche
 by Hermès
Coco by Chanel
Allure by Chanel
Poison by Christian Dior
Gucci by Gucci
Pleasures by Estee Lauder
Poême by Lancôme
L’air du Temps by Nina Ricci

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

The Gaping Maw Of Unemployment In India

The unemployment rate in 2012 will increase up to 202 million and it is on an upward trend for 2013, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported on Monday.  Experts predict an unemployment rate reaching 6.2 per cent by 2013.

Source: www.financialexpress.com, May 01, 2012

Against the global unemployment rate, consider this- the unemployment rate in India has been consistently increasing, and stands at 9.8% in 2010-2011!

Over the past decade, India has been regarded as the success story of globalization. India’s success is attributed to off-shoring of IT-enabled services, backed by reforms leading to global economic integration and domestic deregulation. Yet, even before the global economic crisis, in spite of high income growth in the organised sector, India faced the challenges of increasing inequalities and falling standards of living among marginalized groups.  

In order to understand the Indian unemployment crisis, it is important to understand these basic terms.

• Labour Force: The labour force is defined as the number of people employed plus the number unemployed but seeking work. 
• Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate can be defined as the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): The total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports.
• Primary Sector: Where the economic activity involves exploitation of natural resources. Typically, agriculture and agriculture related activities are the primary sectors of economy.
• Secondary Sector: When the main activity involves manufacturing then it is the secondary sector. All industrial production where physical goods are produced come under the secondary sector.
• Tertiary Sector: When the activity involves providing intangible goods like services. Financial services, Information Technology etc. are in the tertiary sector.

In the last four decades, the share of the primary sector in GDP decreased, the share of the secondary sector remained static and the share of the tertiary sector grew. However, the share in providing employment was not in tune with the share in GDP.

• In 1973, the agriculture (primary) sector had a 45% share in the GDP and a 75% share in the labour force. Today, it constitutes only about 25% of the GDP, but still has a 60% share in the labour force.
• In 1973, the manufacturing (secondary sector) had a 20% share in the GDP and a 10% share in the labour force. Today, it still constitutes 20% of the GDP, and has an 18% share in the labour force.
• In 1973, the services (tertiary) sector had a 35% share in the GDP and a 15% share in the labour force. Today, it constitutes 55% of the GDP, but only has a 22% share in the labour force.

It is quite clear that majority of the people are still employed in agricultural activities. As agriculture provides seasonal employment during cropping season, chances of hidden unemployment are big. The fallacy has been in assuming that IT-enabled services would become the engine of growth for the entire economy. Although educated and skilled workers do get employed in secondary and tertiary sector, for unskilled and semi-skilled workers there is still shortage of employment avenues. The inability to undertake land reforms or other strategies that would have involved substantial redistribution of assets means that wealth and income inequalities continue to be very high. Hence the most important current problem is the resolution of the agrarian crisis and the need to ensure sustainable productive employment for the majority of the labour force.

For urban India, deregulation took away the advantage of increase in export employment. The employment loss because of import competition, especially in small enterprises, was not compensated.  Also, there was a decline in organized sector employment due to the decline in public sector employment.  Further, several “economic reform” measures such as trade liberalization, the reduction of credit allocation to the priority sector and the removal of various forms of support worked against the interests of most small producers, who accounted for labour-intensive forms of urban manufacturing employment.

Economic inequalities have increased in India in the post-reform period.  The benefits of growth have been concentrated and have not trickled down sufficiently. The economic growth process in India has been unable reduce poverty, as it failed to deliver proportional structural change in the output to employment ratio. It was unsuccessful, despite high rates of output growth, to generate sufficient opportunities for work to meet the needs of the growing labour force.

To add to all this is the global economic crisis, which puts forward further challenges of sustainability of economic growth.  All this means that government mediation in the process of global economic integration is the need of the hour. However, India’s turbulent political environment of coalition governance is marked by ineptitude and indecision. The problem is further aggravated by large scale corruption that does not allow whatever minimal affirmative action that is taken to reach its intended beneficiaries. 

It is no wonder, therefore, that in India, the problem of unemployment takes on epic proportions! 

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Hungry India

In the global ranking of some 193 countries in the descending order of their respective U5MR rates (under five mortality rate,expressed per 1000 live births), India ranks 46th. 

The country’s current status in this vital parameter of child welfare is woefully behind economically smaller neighbouring countries like Nepal (ranked 59th) and Bangladesh (ranked 61st). Only Pakistan has a higher U5MR rate, with 87 of that country’s children dying for every 1000 live births. 

Source: Deccan Herald, March 12, 2012 

Starvation is the result of a severe or total lack of nutrients needed for the maintenance of life. John. R Butterly, in his book ‘Hunger: The Biology and Politics of Starvation’, says “chronic malnutrition often leads to a compromised immune system and makes a person unable to fight off organisms that a normally fed human would barely notice.” 

Since the start of the new millennium, India has seen significant economic progress. Yet, death by starvation is a gruesome reality in India. Poor Indian households struggle to cope with high food prices and malnourishment among their children. TNN (Mar 9, 2012) reports people selling kidneys to beat starvation in a West Bengal village. 

These statistics should make our heads hang in shame- 

• India has an all-India average U5MR rate of 74. Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh are the country’s “hungriest” states, with an average U5MR rate of 85. 
• 25% of the world’s hungry population resides in India. 
• The country has 360 million people living under the official poverty line.
• 43 per cent of children under the age of five years are malnourished.
• Half of all pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 years suffer from anaemia.

India grows enough food for its people. In order to ensure food security, three main public programmes are implemented by the government- the PDS, the ICDS and the NREGA. Yet, in spite of a clear public policy on food security, death by starvation still stalks both rural and urban populations.

• The Public Food Distribution System (PDS): The PDS fails due to inefficient planning. Grain rots in government warehouses while the poor go hungry. Ration cards are not issued to poor families because surveys are either delayed or just filed in, but not actually conducted. Further, corrupt ration shop dealers pilfer food and sell it on the black market rather than to intended beneficiaries. In fact, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is one of the most corrupt divisions of the central government.
• The Integrated Child Development System (ICDS): The government is supposed to provide meals to all students at schools under the Mid-day Meal Scheme. Child care centres, known as Anganwadis, are supposed to provide immunization and supplementary food for the children under age of six and pregnant women at village level. But it is commonly seen that these are open only 6-7 days a month when they are actually expected to work 30 days a month.
• The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): This is the 100 day-employment guarantee system which is the biggest playground for corruption. Wages do not reach families, but are recorded. The money that the central/state government earmarks for poverty eradication is siphoned away by politicians, bureaucrats and village heads. 

What is the point gloating over India’s economic advancement when a poor person can’t access entitlements to government food and work programs? Public outcry questioning shoddy implementation of policies and corruption is the need of the hour. Bad governance is the key reason for all the country’s woes, the issue of food security being the foremost.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Why The 'Anna Movement' Floundered

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare will attend a core committee meeting of ‘Team Anna’ here today to discuss the future strategy of his fight against corruption.Earlier on February 24, he had threatened to start another movement for the passage of a strong Ombudsman (Jan Lokpal) bill to combat graft in the country, before the national polls, which are scheduled to take place in 2014.  Hazare has been at loggerheads with the government over the Ombudsman Bill for which the Gandhian activist went on hunger strikes in April, August and December last year. 

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com, March 5, 2012

"I am Anna."

Fraught with day to day corruption, Indians of all classes identified with the ‘Anna movement’ that took an aggressive stand against the issue. Even the usually placid middle class came out in large hordes to rally behind this frail man willing to die for his beliefs. The movement caught momentum in  April 2011 and reached its peak in August 2011. However, by December 2011, much of the sizzle and fire had dissipated.

Why did the Anna movement, which achieved such huge support initially, flounder in the last leg?

Initially, UPA, grappling with its internal power politics, and a weak prime minister, simply could not fathom how to deal with the groundswell of support generated by the movement. Further, the media made it look very big, causing the government to panic. Strong-arm tactics with Baba Ramdev and the stupid act of arresting Anna just before the August fast added fuel to the already smouldering movement.  

By December, public perception had changed to a certain extent. Three points come to mind as to why this happened.

• Team Anna’s uncompromising stand
  Most people want to see the problem of corruption addressed. The announcement of the December fast, even as the bill was about to be tabled was seen by most people as unnecessary blackmailing, which could lead to an impassé.
• Corruption charges against top aides of Anna
  Top aides of Anna- Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, and the Bhushans came under scrutiny when charges of financial impropriety were levied on them. This loss of credibility was certainly one of the reasons for the movement to weaken.
• Anna’s apparent closeness to BJP
  Anna was seen as ‘above politics’ by the masses. However, his public appearances with leaders of a Hindu-biased opposition probably hurt this image. And the UPA cashed on it, sparing no effort in insinuating Anna’s political motives.

Finally, the political class outwitted Team Anna. Getting its act together, the UPA saved face by masterminding the “Sense of the house” resolution in the Loksabha, making Anna’s fast redundant. Yet, it is quite clear that the political class did not want the ‘Janlokpal’ bill, as Team Anna would have wanted. The bill was effectively scuttled in the Rajyasabha.

This great movement, which addresses the major issue we all are concerned about, seems to have bitten the dust for the moment. Let's hope the fire is re-ignited! As for now, we can only wait and watch how the 'Janlokpal Bill' scenario unfolds.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Indo-literature: Increasing Global Reach

Marathi sahitya sammelan is a unique event. Today in Chandrapur more than one lakh people will attend this litfest. It’s much better than JLF (Jaipur Lit Fest) !

Source: @waglenikhil on Twitter (Nikhil Wagle, Editior IBN Lokmat), February 04, 2012

Noted litterateur and president of the 85th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Vasant Dahake defended the increasing use of English language, saying that it has become all the more necessary in the changed global scenario.

Source: TNN, February 05, 2012

Against the backdrop of the much-in-the-news Jaipur Literary Fest, news reports of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in the English media were few. This hugely successful festival, attracting an audience of over one lakh people from the very grassroots of Maharashtra, was given scant coverage by the media.

Liberal education, through literature, languages, philosophy and history, is meant open our minds to cultures foreign to us. The English literate Indian connoisseur laps up not just English literature, but also translations of great European classics- Greek, French, German, Russian etc. This, no doubt, is a good thing. But, just as we discover foreign cultures through reading, should not Indian regional literature be discovered by global readers?

India has a very rich and varied literary tradition. In the ancient days, Ujjain hosted the Sahitya Parishad under the leadership of Kalidasa, the poet, and the patronage of King Budhagupta Vikramaditya Harsha (476-502 AD). Associations of literary professionals were set up in the capitals of Pandya-Chola-Chera  kingdoms of South India as well as in Anuradhapura in Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka). In spite of such an illustrious history, Indian literature still remains to be 'discovered' and enjoyed globally.

All great literature has been propagated by translations, eliciting interest in the original language. Indian classics have strong storylines and excellent narratives. We have a lot to offer to the world starved for original content. But we lack universal reach, because our literature has not been translated abundantly and distributed widely like most European literature has been.

Fortunately, Indians are proficient in English, the language which has emerged as the most widely used global medium of communication. We also have a large number of brilliant Indian exponents of English literature. Translations of great regional Indian literature by these writers, from their mother-tongues to English, will ensure that the original flavour is retained. Moreover, with the kind of cultural diversity that exists in our nation, we Indians will also be able enjoy the rich literature of regions other than our own.

A concerted effort needs to be made to promote Indian literature. The project must have state patronage. Writers need to be commissioned to undertake translations; corporate sponsorships must be sought for funding these commissions; international publishing houses must be roped in for distribution. The endeavour is an uphill task, but it must be undertaken as an essential obligation we have towards our cultures- that of being part of a universal heritage! 

Again quoting Mahatma Gandhi, “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” 

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Lokpal Bill Fiasco

It is a defeat of an arrogant govt, says BJP

Charging the government with “orchestrating” the events yesterday to avoid voting on the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha, Jaitley said, “Government created disturbance with the help of a friendly party to run away from vote…If government shies away from voting on amendments it does not want, it is a sad day for Parliamentary democracy.”

BJP choreographed fiasco on Lokpal Bill in RS, says Govt

Government today projected the BJP as the villain in Rajya Sabha’s failure to pass the Lokpal Bill yesterday and accused it of choreographing the fiasco but refrained from blaming key UPA constituent Trinamool Congress which had moved several amendments.

Source: www.firstpost.com, December 30, 2011

“A politician is a man who will double cross that bridge when he comes to it.”~Oscar Levant

After the Loksabha passed the Lokpal bill, we actually believed that not all politicians were bad, not everything was as bleak as we thought, and that this country still had hope. But the charade of the Loksabha debate and the subsequent passing of the bill, awaiting ratification in the Rajyasabha, was just a ruse to fool the common man.

Why would politicians want to get off the gravy train? Plundering national wealth is a guaranteed privilege to our elected representatives. Our parliamentarians may wax eloquent, denigrating corruption in their debates, but they will fight tooth and nail any law that takes away that privilege.

The government, riddled with controversy over controversy, and having a large number of corruption charges against its ministers, certainly did not want the Lokpal. It, quite clearly, had a pre-conceived plan to create a stalemate. Projecting an image of a party committed to the anti-graft bill, its floor management in the Loksabha was impeccable. Yet, it used its allies like Trinamool Congress and outside supporters like RJD to create chaos in the Rajyasabha to stall the crucial legislation.

The opposition had a two pronged strategy. They took a stand that the Lokpal, as proposed by the government, was weak, and asked for 180 amendments. The obvious ruse was to stall the bill from being passed. And if it did get passed, well, they could get political mileage by supporting the Anna Hazare movement with full fervour, blaming the government.

It is one of the greatest blunders of belief that any political party ever wants the Lokpal. Over the years, every ruling party made sure that this Bill did not see the light of the day, whether it was the government of VP Singh, HD Deve Gowda, IK Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and now, Manmohan Singh.

Once more, the bill was methodically scuttled. Each party shrewdly put an independent spanner in the wheel, creating its own alibis to sincerity while blaming the others. The political class failed the people once again.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Proverbial Contradictions!

Proverbs are popularly defined as short expressions of popular wisdom. The wisdom is in the form of a bit of advice, sometimes, to adopt an attitude toward a situation. However, proverbs often run in pairs, reminding us that for every argument for rationalising our stand in a situation, there is an equally rational opposite stand!

If you agree with me that "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"

Then "Out of sight, out of mind" should also make you ponder!

Here is a list of 20 cases where ‘words of popular wisdom’ end up conflicting with each other!

1.       A silent man is a wise one.

          A man without words is a man without thoughts.

2.       Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

          Out of sight, out of mind.

3.       Actions speak louder than words.

          The pen is mightier than the sword.

4.       Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

          Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

5.       Birds of a feather flock together.

          Opposites attract.

6.       Clothes make the man.

          Don't judge a book by its cover.

7.       Cross your bridges when you come to them.

          Forewarned is forearmed.

8.       Great minds think alike.

          Fools seldom differ.

9.       Knowledge is power.

          Ignorance is bliss.

10.     Look before you leap.

          He who hesitates is lost.

11.     Many hands make light work.

          Too many cooks spoil the broth.

12.     Money talks.

          Talk is cheap.

13.     Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

          Better safe than sorry.

14.     The bigger, the better.

          The best things come in small packages.

15.     The more, the merrier.

          Two's company; three's a crowd.

16.     The only thing constant is change.

          The more things change, the more they stay the same.

17.     Two heads are better than one.

          If you want something done right, do it yourself.

18.     What will be, will be.

          Life is what you make it.

19.     What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

          One man's meat is another man's poison.

20.     With age comes wisdom.

          Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings.

Same-sex Marriage?

The Supreme Court today deferred its hearing on the issue of decriminalisation of gay sex among consenting adults in private and listed the case for a final hearing in February 2012. A bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi adjourned the hearing on the matter after the lawyers involved in the case pleaded that they want to argue the case extensively and it would take time. The apex court was hearing petitions filed by anti-gay rights activists and also by political, social and religious organisations which have opposed the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising homosexual behaviour.

Source: www.dna.com, November 8, 2011

A gay couple -- from India and Britain -- has tied the knot at a ceremony held at a Hindu temple in as Nepal. Social worker Sanjay Shah, 42, from UK tied nuptial knot at a temple in Teku with S Khan, 30, (name changed) from Gujarat on Tuesday under the aegis of Blue Diamond Society (BDS), an organisation dedicated for the cause of gay and lesbian in Nepal.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk,   June 20, 2011

Durban-based sales advisor Joe Singh and his partner Wesley Nolan solemnised their relationship at a ceremony where a Hindu priest officiated. In the Singh living room, Wesley tied a necklace with a Ganesha pendant around Joe’s neck. The couple, chose the Ganesha instead of garlands because both of them are “staunch Hindus’’ and wanted the Elephant God to “ward off evil and remove obstacles from their path’’.

Source: Times News Network, May 10, 2009

The first historical mention of the performance of same-sex marriages occurred during the early Roman Empire. Emperor Nero is reported to have engaged in a marriage ceremony with one of his male slaves. 

Since 2001, ten countries have begun allowing same-sex couples to marry nationwide: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden. Same-sex marriages are also performed and recognized in Mexico City and parts of the United States. 

Homosexual relations were legally still a crime in India under an old British era statute dating from 1860 called Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalises 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature.' Eventually, in a historic judgement delivered on 2 Jul 2009, Delhi High Court overturned the 150 year old section, legalising consensual homosexual activities between adults. The judgement stipulates  that every citizen has equal opportunity of life and is equal before law. However, same-sex marriages, as of now, do not have a legal status in India

The institution of civil marriage confers a social status and important legal benefits, rights, and privileges.

Opponents of same-sex marriage use the term “marriage” to mean the social union between one man and one woman. They argue that the basic unit of society is the family, and the primary objective of a marriage is to rear children. They argue that a child has a right to be raised by a father and a mother, in order to strengthen the social fabric.

Proponents of same-sex marriage argue that marriage is a legal status, which grants a couple all its attendant benefits, and must have nothing to do with the sexuality of the partners. They argue the case for same-sex marriages on the basis of human rights- the right to family life.

There are many people in our society who want to walk a different path. Then, offcourse, there is a problem of both transsexuals and inter-sexed individuals, who may not necessarily be categorized into “male” or “female”. Each person has a right to happiness. The big question is not, and most of you will agree, the freedom to be happy. The big questions is, is society ready to sanction this happiness legally?

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Scamgate CWG

The CVC will give some more fresh cases to CBI to probe alleged criminal conspiracy and graft by certain government employees in carrying out Commonwealth Games-related works. Sources in the anti-corruption watchdog said large-scale financial and administrative irregularities have been found in about seven cases carried out by certain government agencies here.

“We have found irregularities in inviting tender for works and giving undue favours to the selected vendors. Besides, there has been documentary evidence showing involvement of employees and owners of private firms who carried out the works,” a senior CVC official said. The matter was discussed in a review meeting of the Commission with CBI officials last week. “CBI has taken all relevant documents and Commission's findings on the matter. They will register preliminary enquiries after due investigation,” he said.

Source: articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com, October 16, 2011

The Commonwealth games (CWG) scam involved large scale misappropriation of money during the preparatory phase and conduct of the 2010 Commonwealth games held in New Delhi. Apart from this, the CWG has been mired with extensive delays in preparation, leading to unplanned expenses that caused humungous losses.

This was obviously to be expected once Suresh Kalmadi, Congress party representative to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Pune constituency, was appointed as the Chairman of the CWG Organizing Committee. Before the CWG, Suresh Kalmadi’s reputation was already under cloud for underhand dealings when bringing in the Formula One Grand Prix to India in 2007. He also has a string of other previous accusations like charges of land grab, siphoning off public funds, becoming the chief of Indian Olympics Committee (IOC) using shady means and using the same to stay in that position ever since.

The total value of the CWG scam is estimated to be Rs.70,000 crore. This, in a country where 400 million lives below the official poverty line! Or, simply put, in sub-human conditions! Like any other scam, the CWG scam involved politicians, bureaucrats and corporates acting in collusion. While they put the entire burden on the middle class and the common man, these looters stripped the country in every possible way!

Presently the scam is being probed by the CBI.

TS Darbari, Joint Director General of the Organising committee and Sanjay Mahindroo, Deputy Director General of the Organising committee were arrested by the CBI on 23 Nov 2010. Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of the Organising Committee was arrested on 25 Apr 2011 and the next day was sent to eight days police custody.

There have been no convictions till date.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Cult Suicides

An evangelical pastor and 60 worshippers sparked fears of a mass suicide pact by holing themselves up in a Havana church. The group have spent more than three weeks locked in the 'Fountain of Life' Pentecostal Church, prompting conspiracy theories about their aims. But now the pastor's son has insisted they are conducting a regular spiritual retreat and aim to 'liberate Cuba from sins'.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk, September 15, 2011

MAJOR MASS CULT SUICIDES

• Peoples Temple: On November 18, 1978, 918 Americans died in Peoples Temple-related incidents, including 909 members of the Temple, led by Jim Jones, in Jonestown, Guyana. The dead included 303 children. A tape of the Temple's final meeting in a Jonestown pavilion contains repeated discussions of the group committing "revolutionary suicide," including reference to people taking the poison and the vats to be used.
• Solar Temple: From 1994 to 1997, the Order of the Solar Temple's members began a series of mass suicides, which led to roughly 74 deaths. Farewell letters were left by members, stating that they believed their deaths would be an escape from the "hypocrisies and oppression of this world." Added to this they felt they were moving on to Sirius. (Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky). Records seized by the Quebec police showed that some members had personally donated over $1 million to the cult's leader, Joseph Di Mambro.
• Heaven's Gate: An American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite, caused the death en masse of 39 of its followers on March 26, 1997, in Rancho Santa Fe, California. These people believed, according to the teachings of their cult, that through their suicides they were "exiting their human vessels" so that their souls could go on a journey aboard a spaceship they believed to be following comet Hale-Bopp.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Priest of unreason, and charlatan King!
"Hail to the saviour!" believers sing…

Behind every cult there is a charismatic leader who demands total faith and obedience. He commands a faithful following, believing in a future heavenly reward and often an impending, earthly doom. The most dangerous cults abuse the faith of their followers to such an extreme that it endangers all of their lives. The leaders of these groups take advantage of group psychology to generate a fantasised sense of 'us' versus a very hostile 'them' outside. Four basic behaviours found in extreme form in destructive cults: compliance with the group, dependence on a leader, devaluing the outsider, and avoiding dissent.

Cult members can come from widely disparate socio-economic backgrounds and include rich as well as poor who are willing to make enormous personal sacrifices for reaching a faith based goal promised by the charismatic leader. The cult influence is like addiction to a drug . Typical behaviour for both includes draining bank accounts, neglecting children, destroying relations with family and losing interest in anything except the drug or cult.

Today, there is an alarming rise in young people attracted to cults. The psychological effects on members, particularly adolescents, lead them to develop opinions and modes of behaviour diametrically different from their families of origin, causing familial tensions. Often, psychiatrists need to be consulted with the view to understand, treat and correct what is seen as behavioural aberration by the families.

Most democratic governments defend religious freedom. However, there has to be some regulatory mechanism to monitor cults, considering their effects on young people and their families, and some of the reactions they have caused in society.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

'Arakshan' Ban Quashed By SC

Giving the go ahead for the screening of Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Aarakshan' in UttarPradesh, the Supreme Court on Friday quashed the ban imposed by the state, saying public discussion and dissent are necessary in a vibrant democracy. A bench of justice Mukundakam Sharma and justice A.R Dave lifted the state’s two-month ban on thefilm in UP holding that the restriction would go against the democratic value of free speech and expression.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com, 19 August, 2011

The policy of reservation of academic seats and government jobs based on caste was to be implemented for a period of ten years following the independence of India. Over sixty years have passed but the policy still continues to be implemented. ‘Arakshan’, meaning ‘reservation’, is a movie that highlights the frustration of the majority of students in the ‘general’ category.

Points to be pondered upon:

• We have seen systemic ineffectiveness in many of our government institutions. Merit, and hence performance, has taken a back seat. Is merit not being sacrificed at the altar of vote bank politics?
• It is true that certain sections of society still need support for enhancing their lives and moving upwards on the social scale. Cannot students from these sections be given economic help and training facilities in order to compete for academic seats and jobs rather than reservation?
• Since many meritorious Indian students cannot avail of seats in colleges, they are leaving the shores for higher studies elsewhere. The money that could have gone into our educational system is leaking to foreign universities. Is reservation not responsible for this monetary loss and further brain drain?

In a democracy, citizens have a right to express their views. Different people may have different opinions on the issue of reservation.The movies addresses an issue that can raise a healthy debate on the reservation policy. Politicians with vested interests cannot appoint themselves as ‘super censors’, when there is an expert panel appointed by the Indian censor board.

The Supreme Court of India, by quashing the ban on the movie, has adjudicated admirably!

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Teen Suicides

S. Srinivasan (18) was found hanging inside his house on Saturday. On Sunday, his parents found a seven-page letter in his school bag reportedly written by the student. The letter, according to his parents, accused four school teachers of harassing him ever since he and his friends complained to the headmaster about the poor quality of teaching.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 21, 2011

A 15-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday night. Police said Sathya, a student of Government High School in Jayapuram and resident of Getapayanur village in Natrampalli police station limit, failed in Class IX examination.

Source: www.thehindu.com, June 23, 2011

A 16-year-old girl today allegedly committed suicide after being snubbed by her father in Sirsaganj area, near here, police said today. Sarita''s father snubbed her over a petty issue following which she consumed some poisonous substance, they said, adding that the body has been sent for postmortem.

Source: www.siasat.com, July 3, 2011

More adolescents die of suicide than physical disease. This is because of depression, which is increasingly be-devilling both children and adolescents.

Technology has changed the way humans interact, and the information age has come in with its own positive and negative consequences. Unlimited access to television and the internet makes children more socially reclusive. They are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and social phobias. They are also more likely to perform badly at school and have worse relationships with their parents.

Academic performance in the Indian education systems is competitive. The focus is on getting a job, rather than enriching life. Hence, parents push children to perform, not taking into account their abilities and inclinations. This pressure often takes its toll. In fact, newspapers are filled with suicide news during the examination seasons.

Adolescents, with their raging hormones, are in constant state of mental turmoil and confusion about issues. They need an outlet for their emotions. Familial support, which was available in the joint family system in the past, considerably alleviated environmental stress. Teens would always have some sympathetic adult to talk to and to sort out their situation. Today, parents are incredibly busy and quite often do not have the time to empathise. When a friendship or a relationship fails, teens easily lose confidence in life. An unrealistic sense of hopelessness brings in the suicidal urge. With no one to talk to, they are unable to analyze things in the right perspective, and jump to the conclusion that their problems are insoluble.

Being a teenager has never been easy. But in the new millennium, amidst unprecedented prosperity, growing up seems to have become more trying than ever for Indian teens.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.