Celebrating Will Power

By: Sheeba Naaz and Sumiran Preet Kaur

Ruby was a child born with multiple disabilities. Her parents had given up hope a long time back. She had a stunted growth. She joined Prabhat, a school for children with disabilities. Now she is considered as the most brilliant and hardworking student of her class. She cooks and helps her mother in shopping.

Prabhat is a school under Society for Child Development, an NGO. For Ms Punita Buch, principal of Prabhat, the school aims to provide students with educational and vocational training.

“Students across various age groups come to our school. The syllabus differs from person to person as the level of IQ and disability varies with each person. After they cross the age of 16, we involve them in pre-vocational activities to train them before going to any vocational centre. The activities include flower cutting. Flowers are cut, dried and powdered to make skin friendly colors. These are then sold in the market at the time of Holi.”

At the age of 18, many of them are sent to Vocational Centre at Rajpur Road, Delhi. The idea is to make them self reliant partially, if not fully.

Mrs Sarla Goel, incharge of the Raghudev Vocational Centre, says that the place serves as the transition point between education and occupation. “We have activities like weaving, cooking, tailoring and paper making. I tell them that the centre is like their office and they eagerly report for the duty daily .Our products get sold at Archies and Fab India. The centre hopes to become a self sustaining unit by selling these products. We either receive orders or we sell our products at colleges and fairs like the one at Dilli Haat.”

The centre also carries a project called ‘Trash to Cash’ where items like coasters are made from discarded floppies. Magnetic strips of audio tapes fabric are utilized to manufacture fabric and purses.

For Dr Madhumita Puri, a clinical psychologist , inclusion of these disabled people into the mainstream society is the correct way to deal with the problem. “We not only have to outreach but also increase our own awareness about the people suffering from such disabilities.”

Dilli Haat is celebrating disabilities with a difference. ARUNIM (Association for Rehabilitation Under National Trust Initiative of Marketing) is offering people a variety of products made by persons with developmental disabilities. The fair started on 23rd September and will go on till 6th October.

NGOs working with disabled people are here from all over India. The main aim of the fair is to market the products made by disabled people. They try to provide them inclusion into the mainstream society and to increase the awareness among people. ARUNIM is a federation under the National Trust of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. ARUNIM is an initiative to promote products made by persons with disabilities in a supported environment. All the products sold in this fare tell a story of hardwork, perseverance and patience on part of the disabled individuals and the NGOs.

Mrs. Bela Tyagi , a customer at the fair feels that such fairs should be held more frequently. “Some of the NGOs genuinely work towards the cause. And these disabled people have such a great will power and creativity that they make us feel small. Many of them have come to their stalls to sell the products. It’s lovely to interact with them.”

Cremation goes online

Antim Niwas, a crematorium at Noida Sector-94 now has the technology for people to watch the cremation of their loved ones online. CCTV-s have been installed here to record funeral and the rituals. Those who are unable to attend the funeral can even get the copy of a DVD. Here is a report…

Does the media care?

By: Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Photo:Gargi



“I am not optimistic about the Indian media...Today the type of journalism that is practiced is sticking the mic on someone’s face and getting the byte,” declared Tarun Tejpal in his keynote statement during a one-day seminar on “Does the media care?” held at Jamia Millia Islamia on August 28. The seminar was organized by AJK MCRC in collaboration with the BBC World Trust Services.

Having worked with several national and international media organizations, Tarun Tejpal is currently associated with Tehelka. In 2001 Asiaweek listed Tejpal as one of Asia’s 50 most powerful communicators, and Businessweek declared him among 50 leaders at the forefront of change in Asia.

Addressing the seminar, Tarun Tejpal gave an overview of the grim media scenario in India that bordered on pessimism. He talked at length about the numerous issues that were haunting the national media, supposedly decreed as the fourth estate.

According to Tejpal, media in India is failing in its journalistic duties and is reluctant to take up real issues. Driven by economic and commercial interests, the Indian media has lost its ‘cause and crusade’, he stated. “The economic metabolism of the Indian media is badly skewed.”

He further added: “None of who consumes media actually pays for it. The person who pays for the media is the advertiser and the media you get is the media the advertiser wants.”

Supporting his argument, he said no media has ever done any expose on the corporate sector as they are the ones who are providing the funds to these media organizations. More than half a dozen media organisations in India are involved in private treaties with the corporate world, he added.

“The media is getting narrower and narrower in India. Rural bureaus and reportage have all died,” he opined, adding that media is no more the voice of voiceless. “Media in India flex their muscles. They run with the rabbits but hunt with the wolves.”

Tarun Tejpal also said that the national media cares very less about the issues concerning common man. “All of Dalits get less attention than Kareena Kapoor,” he said.

According to Mr. Tejpal, Indian media is losing its ground especially the Hindi news channels. “See the Hindi news channels, they are embracing humbug and superstition and turning their back on the grand ideas of modernity that were in some sense the founding principles of this country.”

The second session was commenced by the veteran journalist Prem Shankar Jha who is a an author of several books and a columnist with publications like The Hindu, The Hindustan Times, The Business Standard and Outlook.“

Journalism was not a celebrity profession or glamorous profession in the 60’s. Those people who joined journalism were from rural background and rural issues were addressed in plenty,” he said. Those were the times when newspapers had different pages for development, social and gender issues, he recalled.

But today, because of the change in the nature of society, there has been a shift in the emphasis laid by the media, he added. “The intensity of coverage is more in big cities and even the advertisements are urban centric. This society has become more aspirational and has less time to empathize with those who are affected.”

Predatory pricing, a deliberate outcome of pressure of competition for circulation, has also affected how the media works today. The increasing focus on advertisement and circulation has forced the marketing departments to dictate editorial content, he opined.

“Media today cares a very less deal. Does it really not care is the question?”Mr. Jha stated.

At the end of each session, both the keynote speakers agreed that the Indian media has somewhere shifted its focus from developmental issues to cinema, crime, and cricket. They also emphasized that the young journalists should have depth and proper understanding of social and political issues.

A little rain, Delhi becomes a drain

Pix: Babu

By: Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. Delhiites sure must be chanting this but with a pinch of salt.

In the wake of continuous rainfall over the last few days, pockets of the Capital are water clogged. According to World Weather Information Services, Delhi’s mean total rainfall for August is 258.7 mm.

Delhi’s poor drainage system gets clogged every time it rains. The water spills over on the road along with the sewage. And this has been a problem for motorists and commuters alike as they had to wade through the ankle-deep water.

Leave apart the roads in the colonies, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is not even bothered about the drainage system near its own office. After the heavy rainfall on Friday the road nearby the MCD office at Sarai Jullena was flooded. “The irony is that the water is getting clogged just near an MCD office and they aren’t doing anything,” says Yangchen Lhamo, a student at the National Institute of Mass Communication.

MCD’s inefficiency to respond to the drainage problems has infuriated many.
“The Uttam Nagar main road is flooded with water these days but the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not taken any action so far. Our complaints have fallen on deaf ears,” says Onkar Singh, a resident of Om Vihar at Uttam Nagar.

He further adds, the MCD officials to whom he complained asked for money to take up the task. “They said it is a government office and without money they won’t be working.”

However, the officials and people’s representatives to the MCD have their own reasons.

Jamaluddin, an MCD councillor of ward number 206, Jamia Nagar, says the problem of water clogging in Batla House main road is not new. In fact it has persisted for the last 15 years. The main problem is that there is no outfall for the sewage water and the water needs to be pumped out.

When asked why precautionary actions were not taken before the monsoon, Jamaluddin says it could not happen in a day either. “To come up with a permamanent solution for the problem it will take six months to a year’s time. Temporary arrangements could have been made within a month but temporary solutions are not the answers,” says Jamaluddin, who is also a civil engineer.

The increasing load on the drainage system also seems to be taking its toll. The number of people using the drainage system in the area has increased from 400-4000 in the recent years, according to the Congress candidate.

Meanwhile, the likes of Syeda Rizvi, a resident of Okhla Vihar, feels that since there are no proper drains for the clogged water to flow, they will have to depend on the mercy of the sun to dry up the water.

Skin-deep infections

Words:Sheeba Naaz and Kinley Tshering

Summer comes along with a lot of extra baggage-the sweltering heat, the nuisance created by rain, the mosquito menace and the high risk of catching water borne diseases. Caught amid the commotion of all these concerns, people often tend to ignore a simple fact that skin diseases are also rampant in summers.

And when people talk about taking care of their skin, they usually talk about their face. They seem to be more concerned with skin diseases like acne and pimples. But there are more to it than what meets the eye.


“Skin diseases are quite common during monsoon but they generally get ignored by people because they are more worried about water borne diseases,” says Dr Anju Mangla, a dermatologist at Sujan Mohindra Hospital in New Friends Colony.


Rash, scabies, ring worms, itching, and so on, are some common skin diseases people suffer from. Others like Tinea Ungulum affects nails making it thick, fragile and yellowish or brown in colour. Tinea Pedis affects feet. These diseases are caused by fungal or bacterial infections and if left untreated can be harmful in the long run.


“As far as fungal infections are concerned, the infections of the foot are the most common. Once it is left untreated it can spread on the entire body and lead to the infection of the body,” says Dr Anju Mangla.


Diabetic patients who suffer from skin diseases are at higher risk compared to those who are not diabetic. In case diabetes in an adult is uncontrolled, the infection can spread rampantly all over the body says the dermatologist. “To the extent that instead of oral medication, the patients need to be given intravenous medication,” she adds.


The treatment of fungal infections however does not take long. At most it involves 2-3 weeks of treatment that can get rid of the diseases completely. ‘It is only when it is ignored the treatment can last for 4-6 weeks to even around three months,” says Dr Anju Mangla.

But normally, most people prefer to apply off-the-counter medication without consulting a doctor or a physician and that can be harmful says the dermatologist.


“These off-the-shelf medicines have a lot of steroid components in them. It may help to cure the disease for the time being but it comes back with a vengeance. When it comes back it tends to get infected with bacterial diseases as well,” says Dr Anju Mangla.


In addition, many use home made recipes to cure skin diseases that can be equally harmful. “Certain home-made recipes like besan pack and Chandan pack are fine. But when it comes to strong irritants we need to be very careful especially if they mix a lot of ingredients. The combination can sometimes be harmful to the skin,” says Dr Anju Mangla.

TENNIS THE MENACE

The Indian tennis ace, Sania Mirza, has been caught in a web of unnecessary controversy ever since she started playing. Some attack her on her remark on pre marital sex, insulting the national flag, shooting for a commercial in a mosque and so on.

The 21-year-old Hyderabadi tennis player has even faced a fatwa against her by Islamic fundamentalists for wearing short skirts while playing. Adding to the list of controversies is her recent decision not to not play in the Bangalore Open.

“I am not playing in Bangalore Open. I have been advised by my manager not to play in Bangalore because a lot has been happening in the past few months. Every time I have played in India, there has been some kind of problem. So we just thought it was better not to play this time," she said.
An angry Sania said that she was misquoted. She said that she whether before or after marriage, the most important thing is that sex should be safe and there was no question of supporting pre-marital sex as it is a sin in the eyes of Allah.

A few months back, the Hyderabad police registered a case of trespass against her for shooting a commercial in the premises of the Mecca Masjid in her hometown.

Only few months back, a lawyer in Madhya Pradesh filed a case against her for disrespecting the National Flag as she was photographed putting her feet on a table that had the national flag. She could get three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine if found guilty.

Sania is not the lone victim. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar saw himself coiled in a controversy following his cutting a cake that had the colours of the tricolour during the World Cup against the West Indies in Jamaica in 2007.

However, Sania’s decision does not hold. Being a sportsperson, she should move ahead and concentrate on her sport. She should be the one representing India in National and International tournaments. Even the people who drag her into such controversies should realize that she has got a very important year ahead. She is the first Indian women tennis player who reached the third round of a Grand Slam.

As Sania Mirza aims to climb to the top ten rankings in both the singles and double category, 2008 is going to be big year ahead for her. One of the most important upcoming events is the Beijing Olympics where she would be playing in the women’s singles and she has a great chance of winning a medal. Incidentally, Time magazine named Sania among those who would create and change history.

Delhi Lagaan boys come home

Virat Kohli, captain of the victorious under-19 team, dedicates this World Cup win to his biggest fan: his father. Like most fathers, Prem Kohli, always insisted Virat put his studies before cricket. But after he saw Virat’s dedication to the game, he became a strong supporter of his son’s cricketing dreams.

Virat’s father is no more. He passed away in December 2006 after being bed-ridden for a month due to a stroke. Today, fond memories of his beloved father haunt Virat as he joins his family and the nation in celebrating the team’s success.

“My father’s death has strengthened me,” he said. “I matured as a person and became more and more dedicated towards cricket.”

Vikas Kohli, Virat’s brother, remembers a day in the year 2005 when Virat was in England for a tournament and their father remained hooked to the Internet watching live updates of the match.

“My father would get really excited when Virat was selected to play a tournament,” Vikas said. “He would tell everybody ‘mere beta ka selection ho gaya.’ Virat ko ajeeb lagta tha.” (‘My son got selected’ but sometimes Virat felt awkward about all the attention.)

Virat’s all praise for is Coach Rajkumar Sharma. “He has been with me for 10 years now and has completely changed me. I am and will always be grateful to him,” he said. Although Virat has proved his hand in both batting and bowling, he wants to emulate the batting style of Herschelle Gibbs.

Pradeep Sangwan, the other 17-year-old player from Delhi, worships Waseem Akram. However, if he gets selected to play for Team India, Pradeep said his dream is to play like the skipper Zaheer Khan. “Waise to main Waseem Akram jaisa banana chahta hoon, lekin agar Indian team se dekhen to main Zaheer Khan ki tarah consistent performance dena chahoonga apni team ke liye.” (Although I want to play like Waseem Akram, if you ask about Team India then I would like to perform as consistently as Zaheer Khan does.)

Pradeep’s coach, Amar Nath Sharma, who has also trained Virender Sehwag, has great things to say about Pradeep. “Pradeep is an aggressive player and has a killer instinct. That’s what a fast bowler should have,” he said. Sharma praised Pradeep’s sense of curiosity. “This attitude is hard to find in others, as they just blindly follow me and never discuss any problem with me,” said Sharma.

Pradeep’s family shifted from Haryana to Najafgarh in Delhi a few years back. At first, it was Pradeep’s elder brother Sandeep Sangwan who harboured dreams of becoming a professional cricketer. “But by the time we came to Delhi, I was too old to train as a cricketer. So I decided to make Pradeep a cricket player.”


According to Sandeep, Pradeep was always more interested in cricket than his studies. “Pradeep never showed much interest in his studies,” Sandeep said with a chuckle. “He is in the 11th class right now. We never received any complaints from his school either because his school is also more sports oriented.”

For Pradeep, failures have only given him confidence to do better. Although he was a little upset about his individual performance in the World Cup tournament, the team’s overall victory matters most to him. Pradeep’s friend Kapil Yadav recalls, “Once in an inter-school cricket competition, he couldn’t play well in the first match and was quite depressed. But it boosted his confidence and he took nine wickets in another match. I have never seen such a committed guy. He has a routine which he follows through out the year, no matter what.”

Even as Virat and Pradeep bask in the attention and affection showered by the media and their fans, they also want to ensure that they are not distracted from their goals.
When asked how he would deal with a Yuvraj Singh-Deepika Padukone-type issue, Virat said, “It’s a part of the process. I just want to be normal. I would never drag myself into controversies. I will have a girl friend in the future but I won’t publicise it.” Virat’s brother, Vikas, also has a say on this issue. “I have always been strict in such matters. Virat should concentrate on his career,” he said.

Pradeep’s brother, Sandeep, added, “Pradeep is very close to me. Most of the time I am with him, even during his practice sessions.” For now, the players are on cloud nine. Pradeep said: Khushi hoti hai, achcha lagta hai, lautne ke baad pata chalta hai kuch fans mere bhi hain.” (I feel happy. I feel good. On returning, I realised I have some fans as well.)