A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH P CHIDAMBARAM

In a recent interaction with our union home minister Mr P Chidambaram at our INDIA WOMEN'S PRESS CORPS. Chidambaram made it very clear that police & law -order is a state subject, central government can only help them to sort out the matter.He was pretty annoyed with some journalists because he feel some stories creat confusion & miss lead people.He further made his annoyance crytal clear by saying that few journalists ask question on the basis of some abstract information ,until & unless he has some solid information in his hand he can't say anything.
While encountering the question on keeping CRPF jawans at schools he said state government has provided that place for them so they have to stay there. Chidambaram further questioned that why any journalists have not yet done any story on "why 350 school has been bombbarded by maoists". In response to a querry on the lack of development in maoists affected area he said that the area is not under the control of the state government so no question of development arises. First let us take the control of that place then only state government can start development activities.
On fair representation of women in police he said that we can't apply women quota system in police but yet there are lots of women in police in CRPF,BSF,ITBP& other wings of police. But he also highlighted the point that there are some places like high altitude area where it will be difficult for women to operate.On question of how he keep himself cool , he said that he has no tension with a cheerful smile.
During the whole encounter with women journalists he was very cool,logical & very smartly answering.

CHANGING FACES OF ICAI

ICAI was very conservative institute in 90ies where you will be able to see quite conservative lots of girls & boys willing to join the profession unlike the macho lot in MBA. Boys & girls used to sit in separate seats just watching each other from distance. But now two decade later if anyone go to see ICAI ,the lot has improved a lot & the communication level between girls & boys has improved quite a lot.They seem quite friendly to each other unlike the conservative history of ICAI's students.
So this new generation of second decade of 21st century is going to change the face of ICAI.

President Barack Obama appointed Melanne Verveer as Ambassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues.Ms.Verveer visited IWPC on friday, 6th of nov, 2009 to discuss the agenda of women’s progress and development in all spheres of life. She had a heart to heart with women journalists on a variety of women matters.

Talking candidly with the women journalists at IWPC, Melanne strongly advocated economic independence of the women and recommended strictest punishment for those indulging in various crimes against women.

Ms Verveer also shared her experience of Mumbai with Bollywood actors & actresses on issues of human trafficking, greater awareness for domestic violence etc. In Mumbai, she visited SEVA, a reputed NGO. Besides, she also met Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women & Child Development and bureaucrat Mr. Kumar Shikri on the issues of hundred per cent literacy, education of girl child, special agenda in terms of women empowerment, global health proposal to reduce female
mortality rate, sexual exploitation and forced labour of women among other issues.

During interaction with IWPC members, she also underlined the fact that the government cannot finish this big task alone and it requires the participation of private sector, society, academicians, institutions et al. She spoke on the issues of development, food security, climate change, micro finance for women, small & mid-size women entrepreneurs.

Ms Veveer answered the question raised by one of IWPC member on the issue of rape in Afghanistan by the US Army. To this, she strongly advocated strict punishment for the culprits on being proven guilty. She praised a lot for Indian Women Police force for performing the wonderful task as Peace Keeping Force in Liberia. On the lighter side of conversation on the lifestyle of the First Family of US, she defended the vibrant lifestyle of the Obama family and said that they represent ‘Young Ideal American Society’.

When asked about women empowerment, she candidly replied that her Government just doesn't want to categorise this issue as one among the other ones but wants to deal with it as a separate and important issue focussed for the development of women and society at large.

Madhavi shree

Few days before at our women's press club Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, H.E Tariq Karim has come for a formal dialogue with female journalists. Mr Tariq is a seasoned diplomat having experience in Iran & other important countries.

His conversation indicate that Bangladesh has became very mature nation within all these years. Now they means business with India and they want to have business relationship with western state of India like Haryana , Punjab ,rajsthan , gujrat etc rather than their traditional partner throughout these years W.Bengal & north –east state like assam.

Mr Karim was very keen on the investment made by BHARATI – MITTAL group in Bangladesh in telecom sector. Now they are looking forward for investment from India on various sectors.

It was a wonderful candid conversation with Mr.Karim.This new government of Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh has come up with 80% voting in that country.

Vinita Kamte, the wife of late 26/11 mayhem martyr Ashok Kamte has written a book alleging the police force ignored crucial information during the terrorist attacks. She said "My book is based on the facts given by the Mumbai police using the RTI Act,"
Vinita claims to have exposed Maria’s ‘feigned ignorance’ about the events unfolding in the Rang Bhawan lane. Kamte, Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chief Hemant Karkare and Senior Inspector Vijay Salaskar, were killed there.

She alleges commissioner Hasan Gafoor told Kamte to rush to Trident Hotel. Later, the control room directed him to Cama Hospital. Maria’s response to her on this was ‘I don’t know’. Gafoor was unavailable for comments despite several attempts.

Vinita also writes about how Karkare’s repeated pleas for reinforcements to block the passage of the terrorists fleeing Cama Hospital went unheeded for over an hour. This, Vinita says, gave terrorists Ajmal Amir Kasab and Abu Ismail free access to the lane.

The control room also failed to move the bleeding officers to hospital in time despite several calls from local residents to the control room, the book claims.

Vinita said she was initially reluctant about writing the book "but my desire to find out the truth about what happened on the night of November 26 leading to my husband's death ultimately triumphed."

If Vinita has shown the courage to come up with such a bold & well researched work we must support her for such courageous act. As a wife of the deceased police officer & ordinary citizen of India she has the whole right to probe into the details of this matter.We must not leave everything to the will & finding of the government departments. Untill & unless we, the ordinary citizen of India show the courage to stand for the justice "true democracy" will never come to the country.Even in the police department lots of scruplous person are involved.

JUDGE : FIRST A MAN OR A JUDGE ?

WILFUL EXIT

The Indian woman’s free will is an elusive entity. The Supreme Court has ruled that a wife who walks out of her matrimonial home “willingly” is not entitled to maintenance. At least, that is what the court has ruled in one specific instance, upholding the ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that denied maintenance to a woman who had left her husband and had filed a complaint against him for demanding dowry. She had moved court asking for divorce on the ground of cruelty, while her husband had filed a petition for the restitution of conjugal rights. This was in 1998. Five years later, the court dismissed her plea for legal separation. No doubt the court in its wisdom had found that her husband was not cruel and that she should have responded to the direction to return to him. She had also left her children behind. It is to be assumed that the husband’s petition for her return and the fact that she had left her children behind had nothing to do with the dismissal of her plea. This is important, because a general application of the principle behind the court’s ruling may pose a grave danger to women forced to leave their husband’s homes without even their children. When this woman applied for divorce and maintenance a year later on the ground that she was living separately, the divorce was granted but not the maintenance.

There are numerous instances in which women fear for their lives in their in-laws’ homes, but have no certainty of food and shelter outside it. In many such cases, the woman leaves home, even if she has to leave her children behind, hoping to somehow bring them out if and when she finds a secure shelter. While the act of walking out is technically “willing”, the result of an independent and possibly secret thought process, can this will be described as “free”? The convolutions of the law, the right of the husband to demand the restitution of conjugal rights — given the dangerous psychology of violent men who desire the presence of their most favourite victims — and the cultural baggage a mother trails, incarcerate women within numberless invisible walls. Of course, all this does not mean that women do not try to manipulate the law or exploit their husbands. Such realities merely indicate the care with which the law must step when a woman petitions for maintenance after “walking out” of her marital home.

this judgement shows that how much a judge is man inside than a judge. WILL A JUDGE OR FOR GOD SHAKE ANY HUMAN BEING WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN A JOB OR RELATIONSHIP WHERE THEY HAVE TO FACE INSULT,TORTURE ,HUMILIATION IN EXCHANGE OF FOOD-SHELTHER & CLOTH .

DURGO PUJO OF DELHI

This beautiful picture of MAA DURGA is the " badir pujo " of senior journalist, Nilova Roy Choudhury. Because of her ex- calcuttans like me were able to enjoy pujo in that spirit in delhi and lot others were come to know about the " sindoor khela", maha astomi ,dhaker awaaj and other nitigriti of bengal's durgo pujo. My deepest thanks to her .