The Injustice of Jaahnavi Kandula’s Death

Jaahnavi Kandula was a 23-year-old Indian student in the US, and she was struck and killed by a Seattle police patrol car. It's come to light that some of the police officers involved in the incident were joking and making light of the situation, which is causing a lot of anger and outrage among people in the US and India.

The incident took place in January 2023. Jaahnavi was walking on a sidewalk in Seattle, and a police car was driving down the road when the driver lost control of the vehicle and struck her, who was killed. The whole incident was caught on the police car's dashboard camera, and it also recorded the conversations between the police officers after the crash. The officers can be heard making insensitive comments about Jaahnavi's death, which has caused a lot of outrage and anger from people all over the world.

On one hand, it could be argued that the officer's comments are just insensitive and thoughtless, and not indicative of any deeper issues. But on the other hand, some people see this as a symptom of a larger problem of racism, xenophobia, and sexism in law enforcement. So it's really a matter of perspective and how one interprets the comments.

I think step-by-step strategy could involve the following:

- First, the Indian government could appoint a special envoy to liaise with the US government and media on this issue. This envoy could be responsible for raising awareness and ensuring that the story is covered in a sensitive and accurate manner.

- Second, the Indian government could launch a social media campaign to raise awareness about the incident and Jaahnavi's story. This is so because i feel that this event has been brushed under the carpet by the US Media. 

It has definitely raised questions about the safety of South Asian students in the US. And it's not just about physical safety - it's also about emotional safety and the sense of belonging that students feel. This incident has blown a light on the discrimination and xenophobia that South Asian students face in the US, and it's important to have a conversation about that. What do you think needs to be done to address these issues?

Well, I think there are a few important things that could be done. First, there needs to be more education and awareness about the diversity of the South Asian community and the contributions that South Asian people have made to the US. Second, there needs to be more support for students who are experiencing discrimination and harassment - both from the government and from universities. This could include things like dedicated support staff and cultural sensitivity training for staff and faculty. And third, there needs to be a stronger commitment to tackling racism and xenophobia at all levels of society.

We have seen the Seattle Police response which is highly insensitive and unacceptable. The police department could issue a formal apology and take disciplinary action against the officer. There could be an investigation into the police department's policies and procedures, to make sure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Also, there could be changes to the way that police officers are trained, to make sure that they understand and respect the diverse communities that they serve.

It's clear that the police officer failed to value her life as a human being. It's important for law enforcement officers to treat everyone with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, gender, or background. And when they don't, it erodes trust in the entire system.

Women : Respect them

Hi guys,

 

(without any prejudice whatsoever)

 

I have been thinking for quite some time that what compels a man to downgrade himself to such an extent that there remains no difference between animals and humans. Yes, you got the context right. The gangrapes taking place in the country at such a rapid pace is really troublesome. No fear exists in the minds of these monsters who commit such heinous acts. The Government has been doing its part but not enough to console the shaken conscience of the victim's families. December 2012 Delhi gangrape case is about to get concluded wherein the sentence will be pronounced on 13.09.2013 to the convicts. It took 9 months for the Judiciary to declare Rape, a Rape. In these 9 months, there were numerous other girls who were raped in the country. What about justice to them ?
 

It seems everybody is busy in the preparation of Elections 2014. Our Hon'ble Parliamentarians never appeared to have sufficient time at their disposal to bring about an amendment in the Rape Law of the Country. Though, from few corners of the North Block, voices have been heard to give Capital Punishment to the convicts in the rape cases. But, these are just the voices and not a Law. Because, it is the Law only which the Judges follow in their courtrooms. Now, if the Law says that there cannot a Death sentence given to rape convicts, then how can a judge pronounce a death dentence in such cases.
 

Here, we need to ponder over an issue of death sentence to be given to these shameless creatures. Why not ? Where is the deterrence in the society ? People know that if they commit crime, they will walk free because acquittal rate in the country, i guess, is the highest in the world. A man while raping a girl is fearless because the State can maximum give him life imprisonment. In maximum of the cases, the rapes do not get reported only. So, there is no scope of punishment also. Hence, like a wild bull, they roam free and do whatever they feel like in the manner they want. They are a blot on a civilised society.
 

I just wish that an amendment is brought to the rape law and nothing less than a death sentence is pronounced in such cases. (Infact, if a woman is raped , then why not a man committing this act be ostracised publicly in society ?) This society will change. Cent percent. An initiative is required to bring about that deterrence effect.
 

Just kill these bastards or throw an acid on their genitals..!!! Rapists of Mumbai's photojournalist had already committed 5 more rapes in the past 6 months. Why not give them a death sentence within 1 month through a fast track court ? What evidence is required to prove them as a rapist ? Have we learnt any lesson from Ajmal Kasab's ? Or are we still going to provide defence to these cruel species who attacked our defenceless sisters and mothers ?
 

Education Conundrum

Education is the cornerstone of any civilized society. I am worried at the fact that even after the completion of six decades of Independence, we have not been able to ensure the right to free and compulsory education to each and every child in the country. I understand that 50 or 60 years are not much in any country’s history and country’s performance cannot be judged in such a short span. We have made huge advances in terms of Literacy. Compare the figures of 1951 and 2001, you will see the difference. Still, we cannot be complacent and have got a long way to go.

There are certain problems in Education in India which have time and again held us back in various spheres. I would like to narrate them as follows :

• Infrastructure
• Teacher Competency
• Content and Process of Education
• Quality of Education
• Lack of Retention
• Lack of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education
• Linguistic barrier for Tribals
• Lack of uniformity of syllabus
• Huge vacancies in Teaching Posts
• CBSE,ICSE vs State Boards
• Expenditure on Education (as % of GDP)
• Cramming without understanding
• Stress without desired outcome
• Teaching without purpose and commitment
• Education without creativity and knowledge

The point here is that we have not been able to bring about uniformity vis-à-vis syllabus and teaching standards across the country. In yesterday’s programme on All India Radio, a caller from Sonebhadra district said that she had her schooling at her place. Now, when she has come to Delhi for higher education, she is finding herself ill equipped and incompetent in comparison to the students from Delhi. What is the reason behind this ? This is mainly because of the difference in teaching standards and the study environment which varies from place to place. The kind of exposure that the students from Delhi gets is far more wider than the one received by those in the countryside.

Our attempt , while bringing about the reform in the Indian Education system, should be to eliminate this discrimation between the privileged, not so privileged and under privileged.

My own experience in Lucknow University speaks volumes about the maladies in the system. One fine morning it happened to be an Ancient Indian History class in the Arts Faculty in 2000 A.D. It was my class. I was sitting inside that big hall , more like a big conference room without a mic !! The professor started giving the dictation. Everybody started taking it down. To my great amusement , he was dictating only in Hindi since majority of the students were from the hindi medium. I did not take the dictation and sat idle with a hope that the English version will soon follow. Since my medium of examination was English, so there was no point in taking down the notes in hindi.

Suddenly, the Professor stopped and stared at me. Maybe because, I was the only one sitting upright while the other English medium students had bent their heads down. There came the comment from the Professor, “Sardarji, why aren’t you writing anything ? What is the problem with you ?”. That was really embarrassing. In that tight packed class of some 150 students, I said “Sir, I am from English medium and I need the notes in English”. The professor got angry and shouted back at me saying that he will give the dictation only in hindi and since I have grown up, I should translate that into English and take down the notes. I wasn’t a master of English Literature and I couldn’t do it. That was my last History class.

I just want to drive the point back home that the problem in the education system is more than it appear to be. It was not only me who suffered but all the other English medium souls who suffered silently. I understand that we cannot have two different classes , one for hindi and another for English medium candidates. But certainly, we can have a bilingual class. But for that, the teacher / professor should be well equipped, equally proficient in both the languages. Now, here comes the question of quality of education.

The issues of Equality and Quality in Education needs to be addressed.

Here, I would like to suggest some reforms which we should bring about in our Indian Education System :

• Learning to be child friendly free of fear and trauma.
• Respecting the mother tongue of the child. (I favour education in mother tongue atleast till VIII standard but thereafter, English should be made compulsory)
• Abolition of Physical Punishment
• Ban on private tuitions by teachers
• Questioning should be encouraged
• Team work and community spirit should be applauded
• Encourage sports and Physical Education

In Higher Education :

• Introduce semester system
• Continous internal evaluation
• Abolish affiliating college system
• Set a target for about 2500 university level institutions by 2020

The emphasis should be laid upon developing certain higher order skills amongst the children , viz. :

• Critical analysis
• Research
• Problem solving
• Imagination
• Self-expression
• Decision making
• Team work

Infact, CBSE has already introduced the concept of ‘HOTS’ – Higher Order Thinking Skills, that lays emphasis on synthesis of knowledge.

Also, focus upon bringing about public-private partnership in the field of education.

PPP -> Better quality of education -> Converts Brain drain to Brain Gain

I am hopeful that in the coming years, the reforms initiated by Sibal and Co. would bear sweet fruits. But there is a word of caution. BE CLEAR ABOUT THE KIND OF CHANGES THAT YOU WANT TO BRING IN THE SYSTEM. Because, CLARITY PRECEDES SUCCESS.

Long Live India !!

India is a diverse country. It believes in the notion of Unity in Diversity.Our founding Fathers were aware of various regional aspirations taking birth in the country soon after independence. Perhaps, that’s why, we had states reorganization on linguistic basis.

But, time and again, the regional identities have echoed their voices and have threatened and intimidated the unity of the country with their secessionist claims. The call for separate states in the country is the case in point. Today, we have plethora of voices coming from different parts of country viz. Telangana (Andhra Pradesh), Vidarbha ( Maharashtra), Saurashtra (Gujarat), Maru Pradesh (Rajasthan), Harit Pradesh (UP), Bundelkhand (UP), Poorvanchal (UP), Mithilanchal (Bihar), Gorkhaland (W.Bengal), Bodoland (Assam) etc.

The regional developmental imbalances , lack of opportunities, abject living conditions etc. are given as the varied reasons behind such voices.But I fail to understand that why no one talks about political opportunism being one of the important reason. The region of Vidarbha in Maharashtra is considered really backward and is notoriously famous for farmer suicides. However, we have had two chief ministers of the state hailing from this region. But, still, no development took place. The solution to this problem lies in earmarking special funds for the undeveloped regions and a focused decentralized approach with a periodical review. There is no replacement for an effective governance. What is the guarantee that the newly formed states will provide effective governance ? Jharkhand is a live example in front of us. With the recent Assembly elections, it has again plunged into another 5 years of instability.

India can still thrive peacefully if all of us are able to put our Indian identity over and above the regional identities. These regional voices , no doubt, are necessary in bringing about regional development , but any action which threatens the national unity and peace , should be stringently dealt with.

The Thackreys in Maharashtra have come , off late , to reiterate their ‘son of the soil’ theory. It is ridiculous to see that the two cousins (Uddhav and Raj) in their fight for political power are putting the National peace and unity at stake. The entire country is proud of its financial capital – Mumbai , and by propounding the ‘Mumbai for Maharashtrians’ theory, the Thackreys are doing disservice to the nation. They might derive some short term gains from this sort of tactics, but, in the long term, Indian unity will triumph. They should stop such petty politics and focus on developmental issues. There are better and more important things to ponder over like poverty, farmer suicides, malnutrition, price rise etc. , than Marathi chauvinism…. !!!

Long live India !

Long live Indian Unity !!

DGP SPS Rathore case - Loopholes in Indian Criminal Justice System

The much touted case of former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore illustrates the loopholes in our criminal justice system.This top cop molested a 14 year old girl Ruchika Girhotra and now after 19 years gets away with a 6 months imprisonment and Rs. 1000 fine.. !!!

Simply, not acceptable.

The teenage girl committed suicide and her family faced the unbearable torture throughout. The question is , what took our Judiciary so long to convict this civil servant ??

Its been a proven case in India since time immemorial that the rich and the powerful just gets away with minor punishments (even none in many cases) , and , on the contrary, innocent poor people keeps languishing behind the bars for years together as Under-trials. The Political patronage is one of the biggest reasons for non conviction of these high ranking officials.

Its high time that the public morality is held high and a severe punishment for such Officials is given by the apex court , so that, it acts a deterrent for the other Rathores in the Indian Police Service and in the entire Indian system as such, from committing such heinous crimes.