Re: [India_Vision_2020] When one finger points to others, 4 fingers point on us ~ India Vision 2020

Dear all

The comparison with what happens in other countries does not absolve us of our social responsibility as civilised people.

Yet, what's missing is Discipline - the art of self control even in the absence of external control

Every one seems to be "playing" for the gallery and our TV commercials are nothing but outrage against woman-hood - woman falling for a man having a clean shave with gillette; or women falling for the "axe" or any other deodorant;the "shave-crave" programme.

More, in the name of discussion, the whole trial is conducted and judgements expressed, even before the Court sits. We do not understand what subjudice is.

There is one today - Abhijit Mukerjee - calling the demonstration at India Gate "pink revolution" and gets away with his remark - another case of freedom of expression!

It has now become a fashion for all politicians to say something in public and then denying having said it or saying that he/she did not mean it or he/she had been misquoted.

The very communication must be empathetical.

What you say is not as important as how others would take it.

What we need is the ethical managment; let's ask three questions:

Will it be true?
Will it be fair to all?
How will it make me feel about myself after communicating?

This applies to every communication - be it from an individual, individual in power/position or a TV channel

Prof R Panchanadhan

On 27 December 2012 12:18, Shaurya Shah <shaurya_munich@yahoo.co.in> wrote:

Dear Srinivasan ji,

Really a thought provoking mail by you.
I think India has changed drastically after freedom of content of TV programs..

Back in 1992, Star TV other channels came up with American shows in India and then it continued till date... adding more explicit contents day by day.. The amusement that people of India once getting by our own value based 'Yeh jo hai Zindagi' or 'Nukkad' or 'Mahabharat' or a Sunday movie, has been shifted to shows like 'Big Boss' and the likes (too many to name)... and the explicit contents have reached to the remote villages of this cultured nation.

When a TV set can create +ve vibrations in human brain with shows like yesteryears, the same TV set creates criminal brain..

AND THEN WE SHALL ARGUE.. NO WE MUST HAVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION... PEOPLE SHOULD BE MATURE ENOUGH TO RESTRICT THEIR CHILDREN TO WATCH A SELECTED LIST OF PROGRAM.. ETC.

You are right we the Indians are known for our values.. and these values are overlapped since 1992 in an increasing magnitude..

Jai Hind!

Shaurya Shah

From: Prime Point Srinivasan
To: Prpoint Group ; India Vision Group ; action2020@yahoogroups.com; Education Loan Task Force ELTF ; gfpr@googlegroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 26 December 2012 1:42 PM
Subject: [India_Vision_2020] When one finger points to others, 4 fingers point on us

hi all

What was once a 'shame' is now a 'pride'

What was once considered as a 'shame' in the minds of the society two decades back, has now become the 'pride'. After the unfortunate Delhi gang-rape incident, the chest beating college students, youngsters and activists have created an impression with the help of media, as if India is engaged only in gang-rape and the women are unsafe in this country. Some of the anti-social elements and political forces have also joined the protest causing violence. We offer our prayers for the speedy recovery of the Delhi girl and other victims who are not reported in the media.

It has also become the fashion nowadays to join their chorus. Even the sane voices like how women should be careful, are being drubbed as 'regressive' suggestions. They are being condemned and ridiculed.

When the Delhi youth and activists are blaming the Government for this incident, they have forgotten that the society has got a greater role in reducing such heinous crimes.

NCRB data on crime against women in India (11 categories)

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of Government of India has published that in 2011, 2,28,650 cases have been registered in all Police Stations as crime against women. This includes 11 categories of crime against women under IPC like rape, kidnapping, dowry deaths, cruelty by husband, molestaton, sexual harassment, immoral traffic, etc. That means 18.9 cases for every one lakh population. In 2007, 1,85,312 were registered (rate 16.3). There is an increase of nearly 24% registered crime over the past 4 years.

Andhra Pradesh (33.4 cases for every one lakh population), Kerala (33.3), Tirupura (37.0), West Bengal (31.9) have shown higher incidences of crime against women. Please remember these are all registered cases. There may be lot of cases who were not registered with Police.

Rape cases registered in India in 2011 (IPC 376)

Out of the 11 categories of crime against women, IPC 376 deals with rape. Under this section, 24,206 cases have been registered with Police stations in India in 2011. This is 2.0 cases for every one lakh population). During 2007, 20,737 cases were registered (rate 1.8). There is an increase of 17% over the cases registered under 'rape'. Please remember that these are all registered cases and there may be lot of cases not registered with the Police.

UN Report on rape cases registered with other countries

As per the UN report, USA (27.3 incidences of reported rape cases for every 1 lakh population), Ireland (10.7), Norway (19.2), Sweden (63.5), UK (28.8), German (9.4), South AFrica (120) are having more registered cases than India. As said earlier, in India, many cases might not have been registered for different reasons.

Is not the society responsible?

It is sad that the activists and emotionally charged youth are trying to blame the Government and the Police for such phenomenon. As I said earlier, there are many women victims who suffer in silence without going to the authorities. Severe punishment in law book cannot alone resolve this issue. These do not include harassment to women through cyber space. I am writing separately about how educated youth harass the women through technology.

While I agree that Government and Police have greater role to play, I feel they cannot reduce the crime without the involvement of the society.

As Thiruvalluvar puts it, every disease has its root cause. We need to identity the root cause and try to remove the causes. The activists and the media are addressing the peripheral issues. I am sharing some of the causes for this phenomenon, as perceived by me. I do not mind being branded as 'regressive' or orthodox for being frank.

Reasons for this phenomenon

1. In the past two decades, the moral values are coming down in the society. Even schools have stopped teaching moral instruction classes. Now we are being taught how to be highly competitive. Our children are being taught how to be materialistic, than how to be 'humanistic'.

2. A study reveals that more than 75% of such crimes against women are committed by the people who are closely known to the women. Because of this, many cases do not get reported for fear of their family name being spoiled. The chest beating activists and students should first take a pledge to create awareness among their locality and family not to harass women either in the family or public places. They should create awareness not to tease a girl for not providing dowry. They should also take oath not to indulge in eve teasing of girls in the public places. If this happens, nearly three-fourth of the crimes will be reduced in a single stroke.

3. When the Delhi girl was lying naked on the road after violent attacks, 50 Delhi people were reported to be standing around her. None of them called up the Police for any medical help. None of them draped her with a cloth. Where their human values had gone? Even animals will care for another animal of their clan. These activists and screaming media anchors should first create awareness among the fellow citizens to be 'human', whenever the other person is in distress. Police alone cannot prevent such crimes. Society has to play its role first. If by chance, this 50 people were illiterate and uneducated rural persons, they would have taken care immediately. It is a shame for the nation, more than the shame of the girl being gang-raped.

4. Another disturbing matter is that the most 'progressive' JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) in Delhi has got a condom vending machine inside their campus, to help the students. In 2008, when they set up this machine, there were lot of objections. They were all branded as 'regressive' people. What are they trying to teach the young students by installing condom vending machine? Our ancestors have taught as moral values and how to respect the womanhood. Are we moving from 'moral values' to 'safe sex'? The progressive forces can defend all such developments. When we allow our children to have 'safe sex', naturally it leads to 'living together', sexual abuse, mental trauma when the girl is abandoned. According to a senior Police Officer whom I interacted, nearly 70% of the rape cases filed by the women are called 'technical'. That means, the girl files a rape case against the boy, when the promise is not fulfilled after the mutual consented sex. The remaining 30% are violent sexual abuse.

5. No doubt, present day women are required to work in offices during odd hours. There may be good and bad people in the society. In India, every family member is more concerned with the safety of the woman in their home. When the ladies are working in the odd hours, the employers have to take care of the safety of these women by picking up and dropping them back at their places. At the same time, the ladies also should take enough pro-active care when they are forced to undertake journey during odd hours. It is sad, when some of the elderly political leaders point out this pro-active measures, it is being objected by the so called 'progressive forces'. The activists should realise when a lady is put to torture, it causes trauma to the entire family. It is not an offense to be 'pro-active' and follow safety measures, to avoid any unfortunate incident. Are we not keeping our house locked during night time to save from robbers?

6. The present day students and youth are exposed heavily to the bad side of the life and system through media, television, cinema and internet round the clock. In addition, the 'parenting' quality also has come down heavily. What was once the 'moral values' is being mocked at or brushed aside as retrograde measures. This is causing the degradation of the society and the tacit approval for all immoral activities.

Need to reinvent the wheel

Now that the Government has appointed Justice Verma Commission to recommend measures, the activists and the students should submit their views to the Commission for improvement of the legal system. Even if there is a drastic change in the legal system, nothing will improve until the society changes its attitude.

In the name of globalisation, we have adopted all the bad and discarded practises of western countries. They have been adopting the best practises of India. Now US and UK have started realising the great values of India and started using our methods. I remember once UK Prime Minister and Opposition leader have jointly talked about the family system of India in their Parliament, as a cure for their problems.

India's strength is the 'family system'. Whether north, south, east or west, we have rich culture and tradition. In the name of modernity, let us not belittle our values to get trapped into gutter. A time has come that we need to introspect ourselves and reinvent the wheel.

Srinivasan
Prime Point
9176650273