Need to refrain from communal politics in India

Need to refrain from communal politics in India

India is reeking under increasing communal polarisation and urgent steps to check it are warranted. Between 24 August and 2 October 2008, more than 300 villages in 14 districts of Orissa state were affected by communal violence. 4,300 houses were burnt and 57 people were killed. 2 women were gang-raped. 149 churches and 13 educational institutions were attacked. In Kartnataka state, 19 churches in 4 districts were attacked and 20 women sustained serious injuries. In other states of India, like in Kerala 3 churches were attacked, in Madhya Pradesh 4 churches were attacked, and one church was attacked in Delhi and Tamil Nadu each. In the state of Uttarakhand, 2 people were killed. In all the above incidents, Christian community was targeted by the Hindu right-wing fundamentalist groups. On other hand, the horrendous incidents of bomb blasts have rocked the country and muslim community is seemingly perceived to be in the dock.

"The politics of communal polarisation has upped since a senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader - Lal Krishna Advani, who had declared himself as a prime minister in-waiting, - bore a crushing defeat in the parliament on Indo-US Nuclear Deal, and was also threatened by the rising iconic Mayawati as a potential prime-ministerial candidate" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) and the national convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).

In Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh state in India, a demonstration was staged today where retired Inspector-General of Police SR Darapuri (Dalit Mukti Morcha), Muhammad Ahmad (Jamaat-i-islami), Professor Roop Rekha Verma (former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University and represents Saajhi Duniya), Advocate Salahuddin Khan (National Democratic Forum), Rakesh (IPTA), Irfan Ahmad (People's Union for Civil Liberties - PUCL), MM Naseem (Forum for Peace and Unity), Arvind Murti (Editor, Sachchi Muchchi and represents National Alliance of People's Movements - NAPM), Fareed Abbasi (Editor, Lucknow Lead) and Dr Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar) took active part.

They condemned the attempts to divide the nation by creating communal polarization and demanded that the communal organizations should be stopped form doing so. They also appealed to the people of India to protect themselves from communal politics and fail their evil designs.

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Need to refrain from communal politics in India

Need to refrain from communal politics in India

India is reeking under increasing communal polarisation and urgent steps to check it are warranted. Between 24 August and 2 October 2008, more than 300 villages in 14 districts of Orissa state were affected by communal violence. 4,300 houses were burnt and 57 people were killed. 2 women were gang-raped. 149 churches and 13 educational institutions were attacked. In Kartnataka state, 19 churches in 4 districts were attacked and 20 women sustained serious injuries. In other states of India, like in Kerala 3 churches were attacked, in Madhya Pradesh 4 churches were attacked, and one church was attacked in Delhi and Tamil Nadu each. In the state of Uttarakhand, 2 people were killed. In all the above incidents, Christian community was targeted by the Hindu right-wing fundamentalist groups. On other hand, the horrendous incidents of bomb blasts have rocked the country and muslim community is seemingly perceived to be in the dock.

"The politics of communal polarisation has upped since a senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader - Lal Krishna Advani, who had declared himself as a prime minister in-waiting, - bore a crushing defeat in the parliament on Indo-US Nuclear Deal, and was also threatened by the rising iconic Mayawati as a potential prime-ministerial candidate" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee (2002) and the national convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM).

In Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh state in India, a demonstration was staged today where retired Inspector-General of Police SR Darapuri (Dalit Mukti Morcha), Muhammad Ahmad (Jamaat-i-islami), Professor Roop Rekha Verma (former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University and represents Saajhi Duniya), Advocate Salahuddin Khan (National Democratic Forum), Rakesh (IPTA), Irfan Ahmad (People's Union for Civil Liberties - PUCL), MM Naseem (Forum for Peace and Unity), Arvind Murti (Editor, Sachchi Muchchi and represents National Alliance of People's Movements - NAPM), Fareed Abbasi (Editor, Lucknow Lead) and Dr Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar) took active part.

They condemned the attempts to divide the nation by creating communal polarization and demanded that the communal organizations should be stopped form doing so. They also appealed to the people of India to protect themselves from communal politics and fail their evil designs.

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Need to refrain from the communal politics

Need to refrain from the communal politics

[To read this posting in Hindi language , click here ]

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LUCKNOW: Between 24 August - 2 October 2008, more than 300 villages in 14 districts of Orissa state were affected by communal violence. 4,300 houses were burnt and 57 people were killed. 2 women were gang-raped. 149 churches and 13 educational institutions were attacked. In Kartnataka state, 19 churches in 4 districts were attacked and 20 women sustained serious injuries. In other states of India, like in Kerala 3 churches were attacked, in Madhya Pradesh 4 churches were attacked, and one church was attacked in Delhi and Tamil Nadu each. In the state of Uttarakhand, 2 people were killed.

In all the above incidents, Christian community was targeted by the Hindu right-wing fundamentalist groups.

On other hand, the horrendous incidents of bomb blasts have rocked the country and muslim community is seemingly perceived to be in the dock.

The politics of communal polarisation has upped since a senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader - Lal Krishna Advani, who had declared himself as a prime minister in-waiting, - bore a crushing defeat in the parliament on Indo-US Nuclear Deal, and was also threatened by the rising iconic Mayawati as a potential prime-ministerial candidate.

We condemn the attempts to divide the nation by creating communal polarization and demand that the communal organizations should be stopped form doing so. We also appeal to the people of India to protect themselves from communal politics and fail their evil designs.

SR Darapuri (Dalit Mukti Morcha), Muhammad Ahmad (Jamaat-i-islami), Professor Roop Rekha Verma (former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University and represents Saajhi Duniya), Advocate Salahuddin Khan (National Democratic Forum), Rakesh (IPTA), Irfan Ahmad (People's Union for Civil Liberties - PUCL), MM Naseem (Forum for Peace and Unity), Arvind Murti (Editor, Sachchi Muchchi and represents National Alliance of People's Movements - NAPM), Fareed Abbasi (Editor, Lucknow Lead) and Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar)

Need to refrain from the communal politics

Need to refrain from the communal politics

[To read this posting in Hindi language , click here ]

----------------------------------------------------------

LUCKNOW: Between 24 August - 2 October 2008, more than 300 villages in 14 districts of Orissa state were affected by communal violence. 4,300 houses were burnt and 57 people were killed. 2 women were gang-raped. 149 churches and 13 educational institutions were attacked. In Kartnataka state, 19 churches in 4 districts were attacked and 20 women sustained serious injuries. In other states of India, like in Kerala 3 churches were attacked, in Madhya Pradesh 4 churches were attacked, and one church was attacked in Delhi and Tamil Nadu each. In the state of Uttarakhand, 2 people were killed.

In all the above incidents, Christian community was targeted by the Hindu right-wing fundamentalist groups.

On other hand, the horrendous incidents of bomb blasts have rocked the country and muslim community is seemingly perceived to be in the dock.

The politics of communal polarisation has upped since a senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader - Lal Krishna Advani, who had declared himself as a prime minister in-waiting, - bore a crushing defeat in the parliament on Indo-US Nuclear Deal, and was also threatened by the rising iconic Mayawati as a potential prime-ministerial candidate.

We condemn the attempts to divide the nation by creating communal polarization and demand that the communal organizations should be stopped form doing so. We also appeal to the people of India to protect themselves from communal politics and fail their evil designs.

SR Darapuri (Dalit Mukti Morcha), Muhammad Ahmad (Jamaat-i-islami), Professor Roop Rekha Verma (former Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University and represents Saajhi Duniya), Advocate Salahuddin Khan (National Democratic Forum), Rakesh (IPTA), Irfan Ahmad (People's Union for Civil Liberties - PUCL), MM Naseem (Forum for Peace and Unity), Arvind Murti (Editor, Sachchi Muchchi and represents National Alliance of People's Movements - NAPM), Fareed Abbasi (Editor, Lucknow Lead) and Sandeep Pandey (Asha Parivar)

India embraces smoke-free policies on Gandhi’s birth anniversary

India embraces smoke-free policies on Gandhi’s birth anniversary

To listen to this article as English audio podcast, click here

To read this article in Hindi language, click here

India has boldly enforced the smoke-free policies banning smoking in public places and private areas with public access from 2 October 2008 – the birth anniversary of the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The government of India and countless people who have been advocating the enforcement of public health policies need due credit. It was certainly not so easy, more so because of the financially robust, strategically shrewd tobacco industry that has mastered the art of circumventing public interest policies and promoting a product (tobacco) that kills even when used as intended by the manufacturer.

The tobacco industry, and other corporations or associations like ITC ltd, Indian Hotel Association and others, filed more than 70 court cases against the ban on smoking in public places from October 2. But the honorable Supreme Court declined to delay the enforcement of these public interest policies and upheld public health over corporate profits.

India with more than a billion people had a large number of people who smoke cigarettes or beedis (tobacco rolled in ‘tendu’ leaf). The benefit of smoke-free policies will certainly protect non-smokers from the dangerous exposure to tobacco smoke, which is called secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke, also know as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at work are at increased risk for adverse health effects.

Not only non-smokers get the benefit of smoke-free policies, but also those who smoke are either smoking lesser cigarettes or they quit smoking, according to the studies. At least 4% of smokers are likely to quit smoking.

However enforcing the public health policies will largely bank on the meaningful participation of civil society – at every step. People need to be at the centre-stage if India is to realize enforcement of these policies. And this certainly will happen over a period of time, as awareness increases, perceptions change as people are informed and the benefits of enforcing public health policies in our own homes, offices and other places we spend our lives in, become pronounced.

October 2 is indeed a beginning for India. Let us hope that India is able to set a good precedent where civil society does join hands with governments to enforce public interest policies effectively.

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India embraces smoke-free policies on Gandhi’s birth anniversary

India embraces smoke-free policies on Gandhi’s birth anniversary

To listen to this article as English audio podcast, click here

To read this article in Hindi language, click here

India has boldly enforced the smoke-free policies banning smoking in public places and private areas with public access from 2 October 2008 – the birth anniversary of the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The government of India and countless people who have been advocating the enforcement of public health policies need due credit. It was certainly not so easy, more so because of the financially robust, strategically shrewd tobacco industry that has mastered the art of circumventing public interest policies and promoting a product (tobacco) that kills even when used as intended by the manufacturer.

The tobacco industry, and other corporations or associations like ITC ltd, Indian Hotel Association and others, filed more than 70 court cases against the ban on smoking in public places from October 2. But the honorable Supreme Court declined to delay the enforcement of these public interest policies and upheld public health over corporate profits.

India with more than a billion people had a large number of people who smoke cigarettes or beedis (tobacco rolled in ‘tendu’ leaf). The benefit of smoke-free policies will certainly protect non-smokers from the dangerous exposure to tobacco smoke, which is called secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke, also know as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at work are at increased risk for adverse health effects.

Not only non-smokers get the benefit of smoke-free policies, but also those who smoke are either smoking lesser cigarettes or they quit smoking, according to the studies. At least 4% of smokers are likely to quit smoking.

However enforcing the public health policies will largely bank on the meaningful participation of civil society – at every step. People need to be at the centre-stage if India is to realize enforcement of these policies. And this certainly will happen over a period of time, as awareness increases, perceptions change as people are informed and the benefits of enforcing public health policies in our own homes, offices and other places we spend our lives in, become pronounced.

October 2 is indeed a beginning for India. Let us hope that India is able to set a good precedent where civil society does join hands with governments to enforce public interest policies effectively.

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3rd Global Tobacco Treaty Action Guide 2008 released

3rd Global Tobacco Treaty Action Guide 2008 released

The 3rd edition of the "Global Tobacco Treaty Action Guide 2008: Protecting Against Tobacco Industry Interference" was released earlier this week in many countries including India, during International Week of Resistance (IWR) to tobacco transnationals (22-28 September 2008). The Global Tobacco Treaty Action Guide 2008 is produced by Corporate Accountability International [which is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO)], along with the Network for Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT).

The need for IWR was never so acute - when on one hand government of India is resolved to enforce the nation-wide ban on smoking from 2 October 2008, the tobacco industry and others including ITC ltd and Indian Hotel Association, have challenged these smoke-free policies in the court of law.

Secondhand smoke, also know as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

Despite of such overwhelming evidence, the industry is hell-bent to choose profits over people.

"The repeated delay, at times weakening, and postponing the implementation of public health policies, mustn't occur again" said Dr Sandeep Pandey, national convener of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and Magsaysay Awardee (2002).

"For years the tobacco industry has operated with the express intention of subverting public health policies. If the tobacco giants were truly serious about saving lives, they would back off and let governments swiftly, fully implement the public health policies, including the national health policies and also the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) -- the first global corporate accountability and public health treaty" added Dr Pandey.

In July 2007, at the second implementation and enforcement meeting on the FCTC, parties took the courageous step of initiating the development of guidelines on the implementation of Article 5.3 of the FCTC. These guidelines will help governments anticipate and thwart attempts by the vested commercial interests of the tobacco industry to undermine the implementation of the tobacco control policies.

Tobacco kills 5.4 million people around the world each year. Tobacco is a risk factor in six of the eight leading causes of death worldwide. The death toll is projected to rise to eight million a year by 2030, with 80 percent of those deaths occurring in developing countries. If current trends are not reversed, tobacco will claim one billion lives this century.

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