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Human Touch
(A Monthly Publication of Manavadhikar Samajik Manch)
Human Touch is a platform for non-partisan portrayal of human rights issues in their different forms. Be it
the rights of the weaker sections of our population such as the women, the children, the aged and the
physically challenged, or the victims of some social customs, cultural traditions and economic & non-economic
policies, the publication brings out the issues objectively and in a manner that would give succour to the
people whose rights are either violated or put in jeopardy.
Human Touch acts as a forum for scholars, activists, concerned individuals and the common men &
women to ventilate their grievances, express their views and to highlight cases of human rights violations,
so that appropriate ameliorative actions can be taken by the concerned agencies. It is meant to help the
helpless and to speak for those whose voices are not heard. It engages in constructive and incisive debate
on issues that are not only of day-to-day concern but also on issues that are important for posterity. This
publication is a step forward in realising the vision of Manavadhikar Samajik Manch, i.e. creation of a
just and equitable society.
National News 14
International News 23
Transgender Ruling: 30
A Silver Lining in Japan’s Supreme Court Judgement
Yet while tremendous progress has been made, no country can claim to be entirely free from
gender-based discrimination. This inequality can be seen in persistent gender wage gaps and
unequal opportunities, in low representation of women in leadership in public office and the
private sector, in child marriage and missing girls due to son preference, and in continuing
violence against women in all its forms.
Nowhere are disparities and barriers greater than in rural areas for women and girls. Rural
women and girls comprise one in four people worldwide. They work long hours with little or
no pay and produce a large proportion of the food grown, especially in subsistence agriculture.
They are farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders, and their contributions sustain their families,
communities, nations and all of us.
Yet they face some of the worst inequities in access to social services and land and other
productive assets. And this deprives them and the world of the realization of their full potential.
No enduring solution to the major changes of our day—from climate change to political and
economic instability—can be solved without the full empowerment and participation of the
world’s women. We simply can no longer afford to leave women out. Women’s full and equal
participation in the political and economic arena is fundamental to democracy and justice,
which people are demanding. Equal rights and opportunity underpin healthy economies and
societies.
The time is has come. Every human being has the right to live in peace and dignity. Every
human being has the right to shape their future and the futures of their countries. That is the
call for equality that we hear all around the globe. On International Women’s Day, let us
reaffirm our commitment to women’s rights and move forward with courage and determination.
Let us defend human rights, the inherent dignity and worth of the human person, and the equal
rights of men and women.
Dr. A. Shanker
I
nternational Women’s Day is a Echoing the priority theme of the History of the Day
time to reflect on progress made, sixty-third session of the International Women's Day is
to call for change and to Commission on the Status of Women celebrated in many countries around
celebrate acts of courage and (CSW63), in 2019 we look to the world. It is a day when women
determination by ordinary women industry leaders, game-changing are recognized for their achievements
who have played an extraordinary start-ups, social entrepreneurs, without regard to divisions, whether
role in the history of their countries gender equality activists, and women national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural,
and communities. innovators to examine the ways in economic or political. International
which innovation can remove Women's Day first emerged from the
The 2019 theme Think equal, build barriers and accelerate progress for activities of labour movements at the
smart, innovate for change focuses gender equality, encourage turn of the twentieth century in North
on innovative ways in which we can investment in gender-responsive America and across Europe.
advance gender equality and the social systems, and build services and
empowerment of women, infrastructure that meet the needs of Since those early years, International
particularly in the areas of social women and girls. Women's Day has assumed a new
protection systems, access to public global dimension for women in
services and sustainable developed and developing countries
infrastructure. alike. The growing international
women's movement, which has been
The achievement of the ambitious strengthened by four global United
Sustainable Development Goals On 8 March 2019, join us as we Nations women's conferences, has
(SDGs) requires transformative celebrate a future in which innovation helped make the commemoration a
shifts, integrated approaches and and technology creates rallying point to build support for
new solutions, particularly when it unprecedented opportunities for women's rights and participation in
comes to advancing gender equality women and girls to play an active role the political and economic arenas.
and the empowerment of all women in building more inclusive systems,
and girls. efficient services and sustainable Chronology
infrastructure to accelerate the 1909: The first National Woman's
Innovation and technology provide achievement of the SDGs and gender Day was observed in the United
unprecedented opportunities, yet equality. States on 28 February. The Socialist
trends indicate a growing gender Party of America designated this day
digital divide and women are under- Gender equality and the in honour of the 1908 garment
represented in the field of science, Sustainable Development Goals workers' strike in New York, where
technology, engineering, mathematics International Women's Day is also women protested against working
and design. It prevents them from an opportunity to consider how to conditions.
developing and influencing gender- accelerate the 2030 Agenda, 1910: The Socialist International,
responsive innovations to achieve building momentum for the meeting in Copenhagen, established
transformative gains for society. effective implementation of the a Women's Day, international in
From mobile banking to artificial Sustainable Development Goals, character, to honour the movement
intelligence and the internet of things, especially goal number 5: Achieve for women's rights and to build
it is vital that women’s ideas and gender equality and empower all support for achieving universal
experiences equally influence the women and girls; and number 4: suffrage for women. The proposal
design and implementation of the Ensure inclusive and quality was greeted with unanimous approval
innovations that shape our future education for all and promote by the conference of over 100
societies. lifelong learning. women from 17 countries, which
S
ocial justice is an underlying expresses the contemporary vision of Agenda at the country level. It also
principle for peaceful and the ILO’s mandate in the era of reflects a productive outlook by
prosperous coexistence within globalization. highlighting the importance of
and among nations. We uphold the sustainable enterprises in creating
principles of social justice when we This landmark Declaration is a greater employment and income
promote gender equality or the powerful reaffirmation of ILO values. opportunities for all.
rights of indigenous peoples and
migrants. We advance social justice The General Assembly Recognizes
when we remove barriers that that social development and social
people face because of gender, age, justice are indispensable for the
race, ethnicity, religion, culture or achievement and maintenance of
disability. It is the outcome of tripartite peace and security within and among
consultations that started in the wake nations and that, in turn, social
For the United Nations, the pursuit of the Report of the World development and social justice cannot
of social justice for all is at the core Commission on the Social Dimension be attained in the absence of peace
of our global mission to promote of Globalization. By adopting this and security or in the absence of
development and human dignity. text, the representatives of respect for all human rights and
The adoption by the International governments, employers’ and fundamental freedoms.
Labour Organization of the workers’ organizations from 182
Declaration on Social Justice for a member States emphasize the key role It further recognizes that globalization
Fair Globalization is just one recent of our tripartite Organization in and interdependence are opening new
example of the UN system’s helping to achieve progress and social opportunities through trade,
commitment to social justice. The justice in the context of globalization. investment and capital flows and
Declaration focuses on Together, they commit to enhance the advances in technology, including
guaranteeing fair outcomes for all ILO’s capacity to advance these information technology, for the
through employment, social goals, through the Decent Work growth of the world economy and the
protection, social dialogue, and Agenda. The Declaration development and improvement of
fundamental principles and rights at institutionalizes the Decent Work living standards around the world,
work. concept developed by the ILO since while at the same time there remain
1999, placing it at the core of the serious challenges, including serious
Background Organization’s policies to reach its financial crises, insecurity, poverty,
The International Labour constitutional objectives. exclusion and inequality within and
Organization unanimously adopted among societies and considerable
the ILO Declaration on Social Justice The Declaration comes at a crucial obstacles to further integration and full
for a Fair Globalization on 10 June political moment, reflecting the wide participation in the global economy for
2008. This is the third major consensus on the need for a strong developing countries as well as some
statement of principles and policies social dimension to globalization in countries with economies in transition.
adopted by the International Labour achieving improved and fair
Conference since the ILO’s outcomes for all. It constitutes a On 26 November 2007, the General
Constitution of 1919. It builds on the compass for the promotion of a fair Assembly declared that, starting from
Philadelphia Declaration of 1944 and globalization based on Decent Work, the sixty-third session of the General
the Declaration on Fundamental as well as a practical tool to Assembly, 20 February will be
Principles and Rights at Work of accelerate progress in the celebrated annually as the World Day
1998. The 2008 Declaration implementation of the Decent Work of Social Justice.
E
ach year we commemorate since the year 2000 and reduced the sanitation, compounded by other
World TB Day on March 24 TB mortality rate by 42%. To risk factors such as tobacco and
to raise public awareness accelerate the TB response in alcohol use and diabetes, affect
about the devastating health, social countries to reach targets – Heads of vulnerability to TB and access to
and economic consequences of State came together and made strong care. Furthermore, this access is
tuberculosis (TB) and to step up commitments to end TB at the first- often hindered by catastrophic
efforts to end the global TB epidemic. ever UN High Level Meeting in costs associated with illness,
The date marks the day in 1882 when September 2018. seeking and staying in care, and
Dr. Robert Koch announced that he lack of social protection, resulting
had discovered the bacterium that in a vicious cycle of poverty and
causes TB, which opened the way ill-health. The transmission of
towards diagnosing and curing this multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)
disease. The theme of World TB Day 2019 - adds great urgency to these
‘It’s time’ – puts the accent on the concerns.
Despite significant progress over urgency to act on the commitments
the last decades, TB continues to made by global leaders to: What is TB?
be the top infectious killer Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by
worldwide, claiming over 4 500 World TB Day provides the bacteria (Mycobacterium
lives a day. The emergence of opportunity to shine the spotlight on tuberculosis) that most often affect
multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) the disease and mobilize political and the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and
poses a major health security threat social commitment for accelerate preventable.
and could risk gains made in the progress to end TB.
fight against TB. TB is spread from person to person
Background through the air. When people with
The Theme Last year, WHO reported that 10.4 lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they
The idea behind TB Day is to raise million people fell ill with TB and there propel the TB germs into the air. A
public awareness about the were 1.8 million TB deaths in 2016, person needs to inhale only a few of
devastating health, social and making it the top infectious killer these germs to become infected.
economic consequences of TB, and worldwide. This disease is deeply
to step up efforts to end the global rooted in populations where human About one-quarter of the world's
TB epidemic. The date marks the day rights and dignity are limited. While population has latent TB, which
in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch anyone can contract TB, the disease means people have been infected by
announced that he had discovered the thrives among people living in TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with
bacterium that causes TB, which poverty, communities and groups that the disease and cannot transmit the
opened the way towards diagnosing are marginalized, and other vulnerable disease.
and curing this disease. populations.
People infected with TB bacteria have
TB remains the world’s deadliest These include: migrants, refugees, a 5–15% lifetime risk of falling ill with
infectious killer. Each day, nearly 4500 ethnic minorities, miners and others TB. However, persons with
people lose their lives to TB and close working and living in risk-prone compromised immune systems, such
to 30,000 people fall ill with this settings, the elderly, marginalized as people living with HIV, malnutrition
preventable and curable disease. women and children in many or diabetes, or people who use
Global efforts to combat TB have settings etc. Factors such as tobacco, have a much higher risk of
saved an estimated 54 million lives malnutrition, poor housing and falling ill.
"On this World Wildlife Day, let us raise awareness about the extraordinary diversity of marine life and the
crucial importance of marine species to sustainable development. That way, we can continue to provide
these services for future generations.."
— UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The incalculable value of wildlife which closely aligns with this goal, construction. It has also enriched
The animals and plants that live in with a specific focus on the our lives culturally, spiritually, and
the wild have an intrinsic value and conservation and sustainable use of recreationally in different ways.
contributes to the ecological, marine wildlife.
genetic, social, economic, The capacity of life below water
scientific, educational, cultural, The ocean contains nearly 200,000 to provide these services is
recreational and aesthetic aspects identified species, but actual severely impacted, as our planet’s
of human well-being and sustainable numbers may be in the millions. oceans and the species that live
development. within it are under assault from an
onslaught of threats. These include
World Wildlife Day is an opportunity the most significant and direct
to celebrate the many beautiful and Over three billion people depend on threat of overexploitation
varied forms of wild fauna and flora marine and coastal biodiversity for particularly unsustainable fishing
and to raise awareness of the their livelihoods. Marine wildlife has and other marine species extraction
multitude of benefits that sustained human civilization and practices but also important threats
conservation provides to people. At development for millennia, from such as climate change, marine
the same time, the Day reminds us providing food and nourishment, to pollution and habitat destruction.
of the urgent need to step up the material for handicraft and These threats have a strong impact
fight against wildlife crime and on the lives and livelihoods of
human induced reduction of those who depend on marine
species, which have wide-ranging ecosystem services, particularly
economic, environmental and social women and men in coastal
impacts. Given these various communities.
negative effects, Sustainable
Development Goal #15 focuses on Get involved
halting biodiversity loss. Get to know marine species and
learn about the challenges they are
Life Below Water: For people and facing and how you can help. Share
planet what you've learned with your
Goal 14 of the Sustainable friends and family.
Development Goals (SDG14) aims
to “conserve and sustainably use Spread the word, especially to
the oceans, seas and marine children and youth. They are the
resources for sustainable future leaders of wildlife
development.” The theme of World conservation and they deserve a
Wildlife Day 2019 is: “Life Below future where we humans live in
Water: For people and planet” harmony with wildlife that share
Vigilante ‘Cow Protection’ In one case in 2016, a vigilante group In almost all of the cases
Groups Attack Minorities in beat to death a Muslim cattle trader documented, the police initially stalled
India and a 12-year-old boy traveling to an investigations, ignored procedures, or
The Indian government should animal fair in Jharkhand. Their badly were even complicit in the killings and
prevent and prosecute mob violence bruised bodies were found hanging cover-ups. “Police face political
by vigilante groups targeting from a tree with their hands tied pressure to sympathize with cow
minorities in the name of so-called behind them. The boy’s father protectors and do a weak
cow protection, Human Rights Watch witnessed the attack, hiding in some investigation and let them go free,”
said in a report released today. bushes: “If I stepped out, they would said a retired senior police officer in
have killed me, too. My son was Rajasthan. “These vigilantes get
The 104-page report, “Violent Cow screaming for help, but I was so political shelter and help.”
Protection in India: Vigilante Groups scared that I hid.”
Attack Minorities,” describes the use In several cases, political leaders of
of communal rhetoric by members Hindu nationalist groups, including
of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party elected BJP officials, defended the
(BJP) to spur a violent vigilante assaults. In December, an angry mob
campaign against consumption of Many Hindus consider cows sacred set fire to a police station and burned
beef and those engaged in the cattle and most Indian states ban several vehicles in Bulandshahr in
trade. Between May 2015 and slaughtering cows. But in recent Uttar Pradesh after villagers found
December 2018, at least 44 people – years, several BJP-ruled states have some animal carcasses that they said
including 36 Muslims – were killed adopted stricter laws and policies that came from slaughtered cows. Two
in such attacks. Police often stalled disproportionately harm minority people, including a police officer who
prosecutions of the attackers, while communities. In February 2019, the confronted the mob, were killed.
several BJP politicians publicly government announced a national Instead of condemning the violence,
justified the attacks. commission for cow protection. the chief minister described the
incident as an “accident,” and then
“Calls for cow protection may have These policies and the vigilante attacks warned that, “Illegal slaughtering, and
started out as a way to attract Hindu have disrupted India’s cattle trade and not just cow slaughter, is banned in
votes, but it has transformed into a the rural agricultural economy, as well the entire state.” A senior police
free pass for mobs to violently attack as leather and meat export industries official said investigators were
and kill minority group members,” that are linked to farming and dairy determined to prosecute those
said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia sectors, Human Rights Watch said. involved in slaughtering cows. “The
director at Human Rights Watch. The attacks, often by groups claiming cow-killers are our top priority,” he
“Indian authorities should stop egging links to militant outfits linked to the said. “The murder and rioting case is
on or justifying these attacks, BJP, largely target Muslim, Dalit on the back burner for now.”
blaming victims, or protecting the (formerly known as “untouchables”),
culprits.” or Adivasi (indigenous) communities. In a number of cases, police have filed
The inadequate response from the complaints against victims’ family
The report details 11 cases that authorities to these attacks is hurting members and associates under laws
resulted in the deaths of 14 people, communities, including Hindus, banning cow slaughter, leaving
and the government response, in four whose livelihoods are linked to witnesses and families afraid to
Indian states – Haryana, Uttar livestock, including farmers, herders, pursue justice. In some cases,
Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand – cattle transporters, meat traders, and witnesses turned hostile because of
selected because of their large leather workers, Human Rights Watch intimidation both by the authorities
numbers of reported mob attacks. said. and the accused. The authorities have
NHRC Open House Discussion people as well as greater social social sector neglect, which is now
on Rural Development and transformation, which can be ensured the key area of government’s focus.
Human Rights concludes with with the participation of government He said that despite Sarva Shiksha
several important suggestions agencies, civil society organizations Abhiyan, the learning outcomes are
seeking to reduce gap between and NGOs. unsatisfactory and therefore, efforts
the policies and their are on to improve the situation
implementation because education holds the key to
The National Human Rights poverty alleviation. Citizen centric
Commission, NHRC, India Apps are being developed to provide
organized an Open House an interface locally for grievance
Discussion on Rural Development Mr. Amarjeet Sinha, Secretary redressal. Public information
and Human Rights at Manav Adhikar Ministry of Rural Development, campaign is also been encouraged.
Bhawan, New Delhi today on the Govt. of India highlighted various All Gram Sabhas have been requested
27th February, 2019. In his welfare schemes of the government to put a notice board highlighting the
inaugural address, Mr. Justice H.L. aimed at improving the life and living welfare schemes for awareness.
Dattu Chairperson, NHRC said that standards of people in rural areas of Social audit tools have been
the objective of the Open House the country. Quoting the global multi developed, which can be used to audit
Discussion is to raise awareness dimensional poverty index 2018, he any schemes. Allocation for rural
amongst all the stakeholders with said that India has made momentous development has gone up steeply. Mr.
regard to the linkage between Rural progress in reducing multidimensional Sinha said that Anganwadis require
Development and Human Rights. poverty, which was almost halved having their own good buildings for
between 2005/6 and 2015/16, which the Centre is providing
He said that the grass root level climbing down to 27.5% from 635 financial assistance but the States also
democracy ushered in by a million poor persons to 364 million. need to pitch in their efforts for this.
constitutional amendment at the He said that making a difference to The housing in rural areas is being
village level, defines the legal rural poverty is the way forward to promoted with a human rights
framework of the Rural Development ensure people’s rights, opportunities perspective by provisioning the
Institutions in India. It has a close and their well being. construction of houses having a
link with the rights based approach dignified space of at least two rooms
to development. He said that the Mr. Sinha said that in order to ensure with an attached toilet, kitchen and a
Commission has come across several transparency in the delivery veranda in 25 sq. meters area.
complaints with regard to non- mechanism, the government has also Employment alternatives are being
availability of basic facilities in rural started geo tagging of the worked out for the rehabilitation of
areas, including roads, electricity, beneficiaries with their assets. The manual scavengers.
schools or teachers without schools, focus of the government programmes
among others. and schemes is to improve the lives Prof. Dr. Nupur Tiwari of Indian
of rural household from prism of Institute of Public Administration,
Justice Dattu referred to a complaint opportunities, human rights and Delhi raised concerns on the
received in the Commission alleging poverty alleviation, which is very Provisions of Panchayats (Extension
that children had to cross a river to much in tune with the Sustainable to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996,
attend their school in the absence of Development Goal, SDG-17, which PESA. She said that the
a bridge. It was constructed after the mostly pertains to rural development. implementation of schemes is uneven
intervention of the Commission. He across states. The role of Gram Sabha
said that rural development implies Mr. Sinha said that the lack of health and Gram Panchayat lack clarity. The
both the economic betterment of and education facilities dominated the participants generally felt that there
Some Child Soldiers Get conflict with a so-called terrorist Once a child is arrested, security
Rehabilitation, Others Get group, children are prosecuted as forces can torture him to coerce
Prison criminals and sentenced to prison as confessions. Late last year, a
He was just a 14-year-old schoolboy colleague and I interviewed twenty-
when the Islamic State of Iraq and nine boys who had been detained as
al-Sham (ISIS) took over his city, ISIS suspects in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Mosul, in northern Iraq. His school terrorists. Nineteen described abuse that
soon shut down. With little else to amounts to torture. They said that
do, he said, he joined ISIS to make If the boy from Mosul had been part interrogators beat them with plastic
money. He said he received twenty of an armed group in Colombia, the pipes, electric cables, or rods,
days of training, and then worked as Democratic Republic of the Congo, sometimes for hours. Some said they
a cook, making about $50 a month. or any number of other conflict were given electric shocks or tied into
“I never wanted to fight,” he said. countries around the world, he might painful positions.
“That’s why I stayed a cook.” be back in school or getting
vocational training. In the past twenty Their interrogators didn’t seem to
Kurdish security forces in northern years, tens of thousands of former care whether they were really part
Iraq captured him during a military child soldiers have benefited from of ISIS. One 17-year-old told me his
offensive in the fall of 2016, and rehabilitation programs designed to interrogators said, “You need to say
detained and interrogated him. Last help them rejoin society. These you were with ISIS. Even if you
year, a Kurdish court convicted him programs recognize that recruiting weren’t, you need to say it.” All but
of terrorism. When a colleague and I children for armed conflict is a one of the boys we interviewed said
met him in November in a violation of international law and that they eventually confessed to ISIS
reformatory in Erbil, he had been in the primary violators of the law are association, believing they had no
prison for more than two years. the adult recruiters, not the children. other choice. One 16-year-old boy
told us, “My confession says that I
With the rise of violent extremist When it comes to ISIS, however, joined ISIS for sixteen days, but
groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, al- children who have been involved actually, I didn’t join at all. I said
Shabab, and Boko Haram, many with the group in any capacity are sixteen days to stop the torture.”
countries have adopted much more increasingly being treated as criminals
aggressive counterterrorism and charged with terrorism. The Over the past twenty years, I’ve
measures, including a marked situation is particularly dire in Iraq, interviewed scores of child soldiers
increase in the detention and where the government of Iraq and from Uganda, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
prosecution of children. The United the Kurdistan Regional Government Myanmar, and other conflicts. Some
Nations has documented a five-fold (KRG) are currently detaining an were recruited by force, while others
increase in the number of children estimated 1,500 children for alleged joined armed groups or forces to
detained in the context of armed ISIS involvement. A child may be earn money, gain status, to escape
conflict since 2012. arrested simply because someone family problems, or because they
from their village reported them— were influenced by friends or
These practices have created an rightly or wrongly—as connected to relatives. The children I interviewed
unfair and dangerous double ISIS. One father told us about the in Iraq who admitted joining ISIS
standard: in “traditional” armed arrest of his 14-year old son: “People were no different. Several said they
conflicts, child soldiers are seen said they had seen him with ISIS. He joined ISIS to make money or
primarily as victims who need was hanging out with them because because their friends had joined. One
rehabilitation assistance and help they were his friends and his cousins, said he joined “to feel brave and
reintegrating into society. But in a that’s it.” powerful.” Multi-country research by
S
anitation is one of the biggest for environmental health problems sanitation as vital to global health.
problems in the India. Officially needs to be strengthened. More Today, the Organization continues to
it has been given some priority, personnel need to be trained in help Member States improve
but for common people it seems environmental epidemiology, sanitation status, respond to sanitation
something remote, something that environmental health impact needs during emergencies and
doesn’t have anything to do with assessment, and environmental increase policies and actions that
them. But it affects each and toxicology, economic valuation of expand access to this basic service.
everybody. Many developmental environmental health, waste water
programmes focused on livelihoods The government is engaged in
and sanitation, awareness, education bringing about rapid change and
and capacity building and the role of sustainable development and socio-
International Finance Institutions in economic transformation in rural
sanitation. India saw a major fillip in treatment, food product development, India. To match economic liberation
its sanitation program during and food safety. The efficient water and structural adjustment and to
implementation of the sixth Five Year purification processes can make the provide fir safety net, as per one of
Plan (1980- 85) and start of internal quality of water superior to the the research conducted by Dr. Sumit
decade for drinking water and traditional water systems. Singh (MBBS) on “Rural Hospital
sanitation. In 1986 Department of Waste Management” in 2005, for
Rural Development, Government of However, the risk of contamination rural poor, government has allocated
India initiated the Central Rural is possible if the handling practices more than 40,000 crores but still the
Sanitation Program (CRSP) for are not closely monitored. To ensure situation is almost same in most of
providing rural sanitation services. In water safety and prevent water-borne the rural areas, there are number of
light of the 9th Plan strategy and food-borne diseases, the rural areas in Bihar, Jharkhand, Utter
Government of India, introduced a government should regulate the Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu,
comprehensive sanitation program in operation of water refilling stations. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya
name of Total Sanitation Campaign Ultimately, there is a need to improve Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and almost all
(TSC) with objectives of improving the microbiological safety of drinking states of northeast India, where the
the sanitation coverage on demand water to provide a harmonized situation is too worse. Rate of
driven principles. framework and scientific basis for development is almost zero. And still
quantitative microbiological risk government is proudly saying that we
The concept of sanitation includes assessment of drinking water. Lack are development our standard of living
personal hygiene, home sanitation, of sanitation is a serious health risk day by day.
safe water, and disposal of garbage, and an affront to human dignity. It
human excreta and affects billions of people around the As per a survey data following are
wastewater.Water, food and world, particularly the poor and some drastic results which clearly
sanitation are crucial to life and all disadvantaged.Sanitation is a basic indicate the governmental neglected
forms of socioeconomic and need and a way to ensure better care and devotion for humanity.
environmental development that health.
needs sustainability. Safe water, food 1. Lack of sanitation facilities
and sanitation are prerequisite for The United Nations declared 2008 as forces people to defecate in the
sustaining good health, quality of life the International Year of Sanitation to open, in rivers or near areas
and to ensure wealth creation in make it a priority for governments, where children play or food is
developing countries. The capacity of organizations, civil society and private prepared. This increases the risk
the national, regional and local levels partners worldwide. Since its of transmitting disease. The
to address water, food and sanitation inception, WHO has defined Ganges river in India has 1.1
T
he grand victory for Mayawati panchayat of Makdumpur block in have been deprived of their voting
in the recently concluded 15th Jehanabad district, a group of armed rights for speaking out against the dis-
UP Assembly elections coin- Bhumihars prevented Dalits from en- crimination by upper-caste Hindus in
cided with an unusual incident in the tering the polling booths. It was only the panchayat elections.
history of Indian elections. A Dalit vil-
lage – Naukagaon in Ballia district In a paper (Panchayatri Raj Institu-
voted for the first time since inde- tions and Human Rights in India,
pendence! All these 60 years, this vil- 2002), George Mathew of Institute
lage, like many others, was denied after the arrival of the police force of Social Sciences has depicted,
the right to vote by upper caste mem- that they were able to vote. In “There has been a sharp increase in
bers of the adjoining villages. This Churamanchak panchayat of violent manifestations of casteism in
village is being highlighted, but we Gopalganj district, Dalits were threat- local communities ever since the lo-
are yet to know as to how many more ened four days in advance by motor- cal government system got strength-
such villages out of a total of 638,365 cycle-borne Yadav goons who asked ened through the Constitution amend-
villages (Census 2001) where them not even to look towards the ments. When the panchayati raj in-
marginalized section of society have polling booth on April 15. stitutions have been seen by the up-
been denied voting rights. Now that per castes as the tool for the lower
the Election Commission (EC) has re- An in-depth article on the plight of castes to assert their right as individu-
ceived a pat on the back for its role Dalits in Punjab (Social boycotts, seg- als living in a democratic polity the
in realising the voting rights of the regation, Frontline May 01-21, 2004) latter have become targets of caste
marginalised section of a whole vil- points out that no remedial measures based discrimination and violence.
lage in UP, the issue has once again have been suggested by any party to This rising unrest at the local level
in the limelight as to why Dalits have end such social boycotts. Instead, has become a common phenom-
been denied the adult franchise. Dalit leaders in Sangrur and Bhatinda enon.”
What could be more shameful for the
A newspaper report (Voting rights still largest democracy in the world that
eludes most Dalits, April 2001) states, a Dalit village has been denied the
“the two rounds of panchayat polls right to vote for a full 60 years! How
in Bihar have seen large sections of it all happened? Since the EC pro-
Dalits being denied their voting rights. vided tight security that ensured par-
In Mahnar block of Vaishali district, ticipation of Dlits in the democratic
a bomb explosion claimed the lives process. Why did the EC not ensure
of four Dalits on Sunday. Reports voting rights to the inhabitants of this
suggest that the weaker sections remote village in all the 14 times that
were denied access to polling booths elections were held in the state?
in Hajipur, Phulwari, Barh and
Darbhanga among other areas. The As per reports, in all the previous
caste which was instrumental in de- elections – whether for the Lok Sabha
priving them of their voting rights or the state Assembly – the upper
varied from place to place — castes from adjoining villages have
Bhumihars, Rajputs, Brahmins, forcibly prohibited the poor, illiterate
Yadavs, Kurmis and Koeris. Com- Dalits from voting, threatening them
plaints of Dalits being intimidated with dire consequences if they ven-
were widespread. In Ulasnagar ture to exercise their right to fran-
I
n January, Japan’s Supreme Court lengthy, expensive, invasive, and ir- Two of the justices recognized the
ruled that the country’s law re reversible medical procedures. urgency of Usui’s case, and the need
quiring that transgender people be to reform Japan’s law.
sterilized to obtain documents re-
flecting their gender identity was “The suffering that [transgender peo-
constitutional. The ruling was a blow ple] face in terms of gender is also
to the plaintiff, a trans man who does Japan requires applicants to “perma- of concern to society that is supposed
not want sterilization surgery, as well nently lack functioning gonads” be- to embrace diversity in gender iden-
as all trans people in Japan who view fore they can be legally recognized, tity,” the two justices wrote in their
the requirement as a barrier to ob- which amounts to forced sterilization, concurring opinion. They noted that
taining equal protection of the law. a practice condemned by health and “because gender is treated as one of
human rights bodies across the globe, the attributes of an individual in so-
But while the Supreme Court said the including the United Nations World cial life and in personal relationships,
sterilization requirement was legally Health Organization. In 2013, the UN it can be said that gender is insepara-
valid, two justices on the court, expert on torture called on govern- ble from the existence as a person of
which is not known for being human ments to eliminate surgical require- an individual.” They concluded that
rights friendly, also addressed the ments for trans legal recognition. The for transgender people, being “able
serious problems of Japan’s legal diagnosis of “Gender Identity Disor- to receive rulings of changes in rec-
gender recognition law. It is now the der” — much like that of “transsexu- ognition of gender status… is an im-
government’s responsibility to amend alism” — is no longer recognized in portant, perhaps even urgent, legal
the procedure and eliminate its coer- either of the two major international benefit.”
cive and discriminatory elements. diagnostic manuals, the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual (DSM) and the So while the Supreme Court did not
In Japan, transgender people who International Classifications of Dis- invalidate the law — the court has
seek a legal gender change must ap- eases (ICD). only ruled 10 laws unconstitutional
peal to a family court under the Gen- since World War II — their judgment
der Identity Disorder Special Cases In February 2018, a High Court in offers a significant critique.
Act. When the law was enacted in Okayama ruled on the case of
2004, it represented a watershed Takakito Usui, a 43-year-old It is now up to the Justice Ministry
moment in Japan, opening up public transgender man who had brought a to review and revise the law in ac-
discussion on sexual and gender mi- case to the court challenging the GID cordance with Japan’s human rights
nority issues. However, the law’s Special Cases Act on the grounds that obligations, the consensus of the in-
procedure is discriminatory, requir- the requirement of gonadal surgery ternational medical community, and
ing applicants to be single and with- violated Japan’s constitution. The the wishes of many trans people in
out children under 20, undergo a psy- court ultimately ruled that “it is not Japan.
chiatric evaluation to receive a diag- appropriate for an individual to main-
nosis of “Gender Identity Disorder” tain the reproductive capabilities of The undeniable doubts that the court
(GID), and be sterilized. their previous gender.” Usui appealed notes can be seen in Japan’s emer-
to the Supreme Court. gence as a global leader on LGBT
These requirements are regressive rights in recent years. Forcing peo-
and harmful: They rest on an outdated The four-judge bench at the Supreme ple to undergo unwanted surgeries to
and pejorative notion that transgender Court agreed with the lower court’s obtain documentation is contrary
identity is a mental health condition, ruling, but conceded that “It cannot be both to Japan’s human rights obliga-
and require transgender people who denied that [this law] impinges on free- tions and its growing reputation as a
want legal recognition to undergo dom from invasion of bodily privacy.” champion of LGBT rights.
T
o obviate the existing problems from the open market. It has been their quota of cereals through the
of the TPDS, it is proposed found out that sometimes people government sponsored network,
that minimum requirement of of the BPL category do not earn like, (a) farmers who themselves
essential commodities, which can produce cereals, (b) upper
support livelihood of an ordinary income group people, who would
person, should be provided to every like to purchase premium quality
citizen of the country through the enough which could enable them of cereals through open-market
NID smart-cards. Total expenses for even to lift their monthly quota of besides being too busy to spend
supply of such articles are estimated food-grains through the TPDS their time in getting their quota of
below: ration-shops. Thus, severely food-grains through the NID
marginal people of the country will smart-cards, which would require
1. Say, 200 grams of food-grains be immensely benefitted from the bio-metric identification, (c)
(wheat or other cereals), like, rice, free of cost availability of food- people who consume less cereals
maize, jowar, bajra, etc., of grains to all. owing to their eating habits, etc.
equivalent monetary value, per Thus, total quantity of cereals
person per day, should be Considering the total population of which will eventually get
provided to all the people of the the country to be 1.1 billions, about distributed, may be somewhat
country. It means that food-grains 79.2 million tons of cereals would lower than the above computed
entitlement for every person will be needed per annum to supply upper limit of 79.2 million tons.
be 6.0 kg per month or 72 kg per 200 grams of cereals per person
person per annum, which is nearly per day. As per the Economic Considering existing economic
around the existing quota of 7.0 Survey 2007-08, expected gross cost to the GOI for wheat as
kg per person per month in vogue production of cereals in the year Rs.13.713 per kg and stipulated
for all the three main categories 2007-08, should be 205 million annual quota of 72 kg of food-
of people of the country as tons. If we further set aside 12.5% grains, for every individual, the
shown on page 37 in the table from the gross production for GOI will have to incur a total cost
“Computation of Net Subsidy Per making provision for seeds, animal of Rs.987/- or say Rs.990 per
Person”. The Economic Survey feed requirements, and wastage, person per annum to supply 200
for the year 2007-08 stated that we are left with net production of gram cereals per person per day.
the net availability of cereals per 179.4 million tons of cereals in the 2. Pulses, too, have a significant
person per day in the country was country. nutritional value for balanced
412 grams, thus 200 gram cereals growth of human beings.
may not be sufficient for fully Therefore, in view of the Presently, pulses are not being
sufficing requirements of the sufficient availability of food- distributed through the TPDS of
people but still it can meet grains in the country, 79.2 million the GOI. It is proposed that pulses
requirements of food-grains tons of cereals, as computed should also be made available to
(cereals) of the people reasonably, above for delivery to the people, the people through the
thus eliminating the fear of will be easily available for government sponsored
starvation and hunger for one and distribution. And in case of its distribution network. As per the
all for ever. short-fall due to any unforeseen Economic Survey (2007-08), per
circumstances, the same can be capita per day availability of
Further, people can supplement imported. Further, there would be pulses in the year 2005-06 was
their remaining requirements of many categories of people, which 32.5 grams, whereas net
food-grains through purchase might not be interested in lifting availability of pulses in the entire
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