The Beautiful Life

Crimes like rape and molestation have witnessed almost a three-fold increase in Mumbai since 2010-11 raising questions over safety of women, children and senior citizens, according to a survey conducted by a city-based NGO, Praja Foundation. In light of this survey, Chitra Sawant spoke to Dr Sanjay Deshpande, Consultant Sexologist and Vice Chairperson, Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International on rape, sexuality and safety of women. Q: Does suppression of sexual urge in a person compel him to force his desires on others? A: Not necessarily, not every man devoid of sexual pleasure is a rapist. Basically rape is a masculine expression of power in a violent way. In order to draw sexual pleasure, it is important that both the partners must be interested and ready for sex. Many a times a woman is trapped under pressure for sexual relations from a man holding an important position and when the woman resists, the pressure rape occurs. Hence, women s...

Pravin Mote (in pic) is a social activist and researcher on environmental economics and climate change issues. He works with forest and mining affected communities in Chandrapur and Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Pravin spoke  on India’s stance at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Q: India has submitted its plan at the COP 21 UN Conference on Climate Change, how useful will it prove for India? A: The government has submitted its Plan titled as ‘India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution’ (INDC) to the UN Climate Convention in October. However, it was not nationally determined and it does not contribute in any way towards solving the climate crisis, it can only help worsen the crisis.  For such an important document touching upon a number of crucial areas of public policy, a draft should have been introduced and discussed thoroughly in Parliament. The government should have asked for inputs from v...

A Sabarimala temple official has sparked an angry nationwide social media campaign after he said that women would be allowed into the shrine — but only after a scanning machine is invented to tell whether or not they were menstruating. Chitra Sawant spoke to noted activist Vidya Bal (in pic), whose Pune-based organisation, Milun Saryajani, has been working across the state on several issues related to the empowerment of  women.  Vidya’s contribution as an editor, writer and a feminist spans over five decades. Excerpts of the interview. Q: The chief of Devasom Board of Sabarimala Temple, Kerala has said women could be allowed inside the temple only after the invention of a machine to ‘check their purity’, alluding to their menstrual cycles. Are such statements now being made because of the present government at the Centre? A: The present government has added to the basic patriarchy system that is prevailing in the world ever since the past 5,000 ye...

By C hitra Sawant Mumbai :  Everybody knows Scrabble, that old chestnut of a board game, played during vacations or rainy afternoons. For regular players, the game is more about language and vocabularies, but for champions, it’s about memorization and mathematical probabilities, the dictionary is a giant rulebook. Twenty-six-year-old Sherwin Rodrigues, an Andheri resident, is a six-time National Scrabble Champion (All India Rank no. 1 2008-2011, 2013-2014). He is currently ranked no. 1 in India. He has won various other National level tournaments over the last 10 years. His Scrabble achievements are formidable. Sherwin has represented India at five World Scrabble Championships (WSC), WSC 2005 in London, WSC 2007 in Mumbai, WSC 2009 in Malaysia, WSC 2011 in Poland and WSC 2013 in Prague. He is the only Indian to do so. His best finish was 9th out of 111 in WSC Prague. He is only Indian representing the country to finish in the top 10 at a World Championshi...

Former IAS officer E Z Khobragade, while working as the chief executive officer, zilla parishad, Nagpur initiated the preamble reading programme in the year 2005 at the school level. He followed up on this issue with the state government, after which, in 2008, the Maharashtra government issued orders regarding celebrating Constitutional Day in all offices, schools and colleges on November 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared that Constitutional Day will be celebrated on November 26 across the country. Chitra Sawant spoke to Khobragade on the importance of celebrating Constitution Day. Q: It has been decided to celebrate November 26 as Constitution Day in various institutions across the country… A: The Constitution is framed for the people with an objective to build a developed, prosperous and strong nation. The Preamble is the soul of our Constitution, the opening page and an integral part of our Constitution which is our ‘Rashtra Granth’. The Preamble to the C...

Mr. Ram Puniyani  With dozens of intellectuals returning awards claiming the “growing intolerance” in the country. Chitra Sawant spoke to noted secular activist Ram Puniyani on the Award Wapsi and also about what it can mean for society if the trend is not arrested. A professor of biomedical engineering, IIT Mumbai, he took voluntary retirement in 2004, and since then has been involved in human rights activities. Here, the excerpt of the interview with the chairperson of Center for Study of Society and Secularism: Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliberately maintaining silence over the statements made by the RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad or that he’s really helpless? The PM is an RSS pracharak, and is a part of the Sangh Parivar too. These groups are committed to Hindu nationalism and there is coordination, division of labour between their different wings. If he wants he can rein in these elements. His silence and occasional muted voice against the doings of VHP...

Infant mortality rate (IMR) at Melghat was as high as 200 per 1,000 when Dr Ravindra Kolhe started working for the tribals in the year 1989 in this dense forest region of Maharashtra notoriously known for malnourishment deaths. It was Dr. Kolhe’s tireless efforts with the strong support of his wife Dr. Smita that he changed the entire scenario. Along with other developmental changes in this region, IMR has come down to 60. The Kolhes charge only Re 1 from the patients visiting their clinic at Bairagad village, in Dharni taluka in Amravati which is tucked deep in the interiors of Melghat. The couple was in the city where they were felicitated by medicos for their contribution towards providing health care, introducing modern agriculture among other facilities to the tribals of this region. FPJ spoke with Dr Ravindra Kolhe  on the occasion. Q: In spite of several measures and funds provided by the government why does malnutrition still exist in Melghat? A: Maln...

10% women in India have polycystic ovarian syndrome, says study Mumbai: A recent study has revealed that around 10% of women in India have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). While there is little support available, experts claim, women with PCOS have to follow a strict diet and exercise regime.  “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex metabolic, endocrine and reproductive disorder that results in overproduction of male hormones, and is associated with insulin resistance (IR), multiple small cysts are formed in the ovaries,” explains Dr Sandhya Kadam, MD, Ayurveda. Dr Sandhya Kadam Hormone imbalance affects the regularity of periods, and can also cause problems for women when trying to conceive. PCOS may also cause serious health concerns such as diabetes and heart disease. Studies claim that PCOS is also linked to mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. Women with PCOS have lower life satisfaction and poorer health up to their late reproductive years. ...

— By Chitra Sawant  Durga Shirodkar is a well-qualified woman hailing from a middle-class Maharashtrian family, but what makes her stand out is that she chose to become a priest. Durga has done her MSc in Chemistry, MBA in HR, LLB, Diploma in Computers and Diploma in Cyber Law. Durga’s priestly role will lead her to various homes to perform poojas for the Ganesh festival, which begins today. Durga’s life took a turn when she began training to become one of the few Hindu women priests at a time when very few women were into this male-dominated field. She performed the Ganapati Pooja for the first time since her training under the tutelage of Purohit Suresh Bhole in 1998. She also performs Satyanarayan Pooja among other Poojas. While the Hindu culture is bestowed with several female goddesses, yet it suffers from gender discrimination when it comes to the appointment of female priests. Women are restricted to performing ceremonies in private homes and are not allowed to l...

  ‘Even population issue is fodder for saffron forces’ Chitra Sawant Demographic experts have opined a different line of thought on the findings of the Census data of 2011. The Census data has revealed that the share of Muslims in the Indian population has increased from 13.4 percent to 14.2 percent while Hindus’ population has fallen very slightly. In other words, they say the Hindu population has increased by 13.87 crore while Muslim population has increased by just 3.4 crore. In fact, they say that Muslims are now trying to limit their families and also facing increasing problems of fertility. The reduction in fertility rates will inevitably lead to a stabilisation in the total population, they feel. On the whole, they feel that it is part of the saffron agenda to politicise such issues for vested interests. Says Qudsiya Contractor, Assistant Professor, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences: “The current controvers...

Anniversary of Dhammachkra Pravartan Day  On the 59th anniversary of Dhammachakra Pravartan Day, the day on which Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, experts spoke on whether his dream of liberating Dalits and other backward caste people from social segregation has gained momentum. “Dr Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with his followers in the year 1956 on October 14, on Ashoka Vijay Dashmi Day also known as Dusherra among Hindus,” said Nitin Lata Waman, social activist. Convinced that Buddhism was a true part of Indian history and that to revive it was to continue India’s best tradition, Dr Ambedkar, in the quest for recasting Indian society wanted to initiate people into an alternative culture of Buddhism. Principles of Buddhism “Buddhism is based on the principles of equality, liberty and fraternity. It protects human rights and dignity. Morality is the base of Buddhism. In a real sense, Buddhism tells us about the democratic value and opportunity to ...

  Global Vipassana Pagoda Nestled in lush green hills at Gorai, Global Vipassana Pagoda is a wonderful place to visit for those motivated to take up meditation. It is a symbol of world peace and harmony.  The structure is an exact replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar.  

Gruesome incidents like the Nithari killings, Aarushi murder case and the recent Sheena Bora murder case make us wonder how some individuals manage to commit such heinous crimes. People, who otherwise are doing well in their lives, seem to commit crimes in a moment of passion. Is this a new trend in criminology? Free Press Journal spoke with experts to analysis on why some people turn heartless predators, exploiting everyone around them. “About 4% people have certain traits in their personality that makes them different and troublesome. They become very self-centered and have no concern for others well being or feelings. These people are utterly selfish, irresponsible and harmful. They have no conscience, so do not mind using others to fulfill their wishes,” said Dr Pradeep Patkar, a psychiatrist. “By the age of four to seven years, these personalities display some symptoms. They usually have difficulty in forming friendships, they lie, cheat, steal, bully and have no g...

10% women in India have polycystic ovarian syndrome  A recent study has revealed that around 10% of women in India have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex metabolic, endocrine and reproductive disorder that results in overproduction of male hormones, and is associated with insulin resistance (IR). In PCOs multiple small cysts are formed in the Ovaries,” said Dr Sandhya Kadam, MD, Ayurveda. Hormone imbalance causes problems with the regularity of women’s periods and releasing eggs, and can also cause problems for women when trying to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause serious health concerns such as diabetes and heart disease. “I had PCOS when I studied in Kota for 3 years. I was preparing for the different engineering entrance exams. I gained 18 kgs in 2 years since I hardly underwent any kind of rigorous physical activity. I started having a lot of irregularities in my menstrual cycles. I skipped months many times. I also h...

However discrete it may be, but sexual harassment is a widespread phenomenon at workplace, and it has profound impact on women. The common fear is that the victim (female) will either jeopardize her own career if the charges against the man (accused) are not proved or may even earn a bad name for being the victim. A recent survey conducted by Ernst & Young in a report titled ‘Reining In Sexual Harassment At The Workplace’ states that Corporate India’s commitment to protect women employees against sexual harassment at the workplace is unsatisfactory. Another survey conducted by city based firm Complykaro early this year showed that less than 3% of offices are aware of the law and most of even those do not have Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) at each location or have done training of employees and committee members. This is despite the stringent Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013. The findings of these surveys were valida...

Concerned over the ‘epidemic’ of caesarean sections globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised that the procedure should only be performed when medically necessary as surgical intervention can have harmful effects on the mother and child. The number of caesarean sections births has increased notably in several metros in India. FPJ spoke to medical professionals to find out the scenario. Dr Shreekant Chorghade, eminent Paediatrician who has authored several books on neo-natal and child care, said, “The number of caesarean section might have increased. But since the investigative facilities have increased danger to the life of foetus can be detected and, caesarean section can be advised if the life of the foetus is in danger. As medical professionals Obstetricians and Paediatricians always strive to ensure that the mother and the baby are safe and it is a safe delivery. Waiting too long for a normal delivery in several cases can endanger the life of the foetus. If the ...

 Half of the pregnant women and 74% of children under five in India are anaemic, a malnutrition mapping project developed by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) with support from Amway released recently stated. The report also highlighted the fact that 62 percent of children show insufficient vitamin A status and under nutrition is the leading risk factor for death in children under five. The report stated that as half of the country’s pregnant women are anaemic it enhances the risk of maternal mortality as well as chances of delivering babies with low birth weight. FPJ spoke with medical experts to understand the implications anaemia has on the health of children and adults. Despite the measures taken to control anaemia in pregnancy in the last decades, the severity of nutritional anaemia continues to remain a public health issue of great magnitude. Poor nutritional status of pregnant women results in poor nutritional status of their children, including defi...