Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

CHHATTISGARH GOVERNMENT IGNORES SUPREME COURT, STILL SUPPORTING KILLINGS, DRIVING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES

In October 2008, the Government of Chhattisgarh assured the Supreme Court that it would rehabilitate all villagers who had been affected and displaced by Salwa Judum and Naxalite violence. Till date nothing has been done. Instead, the government continues to encourage and support killings, rapes and the destruction of people's homes and villages.

• The Supreme Court's orders to register cases for the atrocities committed in the area, as well as to engage in rehabilitation, have been totally ignored. The Chhattisgarh government has not rehabilitated a single village in the seven months since the rehabilitation order was passed.

• On May 17, 2009, the offices of the only organisation that has attempted any rehabilitation at all – Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, run by the Gandhian Himanshu Kumar – were demolished by over 500 policemen with a few hours' notice.

• Mr. Kumar has since been warned by the SP of Dantewada that the government intends to implement a “Sri Lanka model” in the area and that he should leave the district if he values his life.

• A fact finding team of the People's Union for Civil Liberties that visited the area in the wake of the demolition, including senior journalists and well known human rights lawyers and activists, found that the demolition was clearly unwarranted and intended to penalise the organisation for its opposition to Salwa Judum and its efforts in rehabilitating villagers. The interim report of the fact finding team is being released at this press conference.

• Meanwhile, the Salwa Judum continues to engage in rapes, killings and arson, such as the attack on the villages of Biayampalli and Badepalli on April 25, 2009 when 10 and over 20 houses were burnt respectively, the looting of residents of village Gorkha on 23 february 2009, and the burning of grain stores of village Chinger on March 9 2009. Most recently, in June, village Kamaram was attacked.

• Even though the Government has admitted in the Supreme Court that the Salwa Judum is an armed organisation that has burnt houses and destroyed property, it continues its support for this illegal militia. The Chhattisgarh government has till date not made a single statement dissociating itself from the Salwa Judum, nor have the police taken any action against its members or leaders.

The Chhattisgarh government continues to engage in open, brazen and unconstitutional attacks on the rights of lakhs of innocent men, women and children.

Himanshu Kumar from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Dantewada, Sumit Chakravarthy, Veteran Journalist and Editor Mainstream, Arundhati Roy, the booker prize-winner and social activist and Prof. Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi, addressed the media representatives. An open letter to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh protesting these atrocities is also being released at this press conference. Simultaneously, an open letter to the CPI (Maoist) is being released, asking them to desist from acts of abduction and killing, and anything, which could interfere with the process of peaceful return and rehabilitation of villagers.

A fact-finding report conducted in October 2008 by a group of independent women professionals detailing cases of rape is also being circulated, as background information. Let the new UPA Government which says it believes in widespread participation by women take note of what it is helping to support in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

Chhattisgarh government ignores Supreme Court, still supporting killings!

CHHATTISGARH GOVERNMENT IGNORES SUPREME COURT, STILL SUPPORTING KILLINGS, DRIVING PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOMES

In October 2008, the Government of Chhattisgarh assured the Supreme Court that it would rehabilitate all villagers who had been affected and displaced by Salwa Judum and Naxalite violence. Till date nothing has been done. Instead, the government continues to encourage and support killings, rapes and the destruction of people's homes and villages.

• The Supreme Court's orders to register cases for the atrocities committed in the area, as well as to engage in rehabilitation, have been totally ignored. The Chhattisgarh government has not rehabilitated a single village in the seven months since the rehabilitation order was passed.

• On May 17, 2009, the offices of the only organisation that has attempted any rehabilitation at all – Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, run by the Gandhian Himanshu Kumar – were demolished by over 500 policemen with a few hours' notice.

• Mr. Kumar has since been warned by the SP of Dantewada that the government intends to implement a “Sri Lanka model” in the area and that he should leave the district if he values his life.

• A fact finding team of the People's Union for Civil Liberties that visited the area in the wake of the demolition, including senior journalists and well known human rights lawyers and activists, found that the demolition was clearly unwarranted and intended to penalise the organisation for its opposition to Salwa Judum and its efforts in rehabilitating villagers. The interim report of the fact finding team is being released at this press conference.

• Meanwhile, the Salwa Judum continues to engage in rapes, killings and arson, such as the attack on the villages of Biayampalli and Badepalli on April 25, 2009 when 10 and over 20 houses were burnt respectively, the looting of residents of village Gorkha on 23 february 2009, and the burning of grain stores of village Chinger on March 9 2009. Most recently, in June, village Kamaram was attacked.

• Even though the Government has admitted in the Supreme Court that the Salwa Judum is an armed organisation that has burnt houses and destroyed property, it continues its support for this illegal militia. The Chhattisgarh government has till date not made a single statement dissociating itself from the Salwa Judum, nor have the police taken any action against its members or leaders.

The Chhattisgarh government continues to engage in open, brazen and unconstitutional attacks on the rights of lakhs of innocent men, women and children.

Himanshu Kumar from Vanvasi Chetna Ashram, Dantewada, Sumit Chakravarthy, Veteran Journalist and Editor Mainstream, Arundhati Roy, the booker prize-winner and social activist and Prof. Nandini Sundar, University of Delhi, addressed the media representatives. An open letter to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh protesting these atrocities is also being released at this press conference. Simultaneously, an open letter to the CPI (Maoist) is being released, asking them to desist from acts of abduction and killing, and anything, which could interfere with the process of peaceful return and rehabilitation of villagers.

A fact-finding report conducted in October 2008 by a group of independent women professionals detailing cases of rape is also being circulated, as background information. Let the new UPA Government which says it believes in widespread participation by women take note of what it is helping to support in Chhattisgarh.

Defense Forces take on the corporate battlefields!

Defense Forces take on the corporate battlefields!

Anjali Singh



Lucknow: The men in the forces sporting blues, greens and whites certainly have an enviable lifestyle. The respect comes with the job as does the adventure peppered with an aura of safeguarding the country’s frontiers. To top it all there’s always the glamour of donning a uniform as well.



Sounds good? Sure does. As for anyone an opportunity for making a livelihood in the defense services would seem like landing a dream job. But are the army, air force or navy officers who are already in the job happy with the picture perfect profession they have?



No way! They say. Not surprising either what with most ruing unequal pay scales, rigorous work routines which keep them away from their families and last but not the least slow professional growth. While that may sound quite dreary, the good news is the officers in the forces have now found a way out.



Most are opting out of the services and moving into the private sector to earn a living so that they can maintain a standard of lifestyle they have wanted but have not been able to achieve in the defense forces.



And predictably institutions like XLRI Jamshedpur and the other major B school all over the country like IIM A,B,C,I and L and MDI Gurgaon have become their hot favorites to realize those aspirations.



Says Capt Shakti Tahlan who recently retired from the Army’s short service commission and is pursuing a six months Executive Management Programme at XLRI Jamshedpur, “I knew my caliber was way above what the army was utilizing me for so the frustration of not doing enough was really getting to me. So when I got a chance to leave and join a course for resettlement I jumped at it. Currently I am pursuing a six months course in HR Management at XLRI Jamshedpur and post my course will be placed in a private company with a good salary. It’s just ideal for me.”



A fact that is seconded by Group Capt KS Malimath, who moved out of the Indian Air force after 22 years of service and is currently training at XLRI Jamshedpur as well, “To put it bluntly people are moving out of the defense services to explore greener pastures. Govt organization are no more what they were 20 years back. The armed forces have been degraded by external agents like IAS clan and internally everyone is finding themselves in a rut which is taking away professionalism from the service. Making matters worse is that being in the defense forces provides only promotions which does not exemplify professionalism as compared to private job offers which better professional growth.”



While a period of transition is indeed stressful, specially so when it is related to our professional field. Defense officers don’t feel the heat that much switching careers thanks to the management colleges they are entering to hone their skills required to excel in the private arena.



As explains Capt Tribhuvan Singh Mankotia a short service commissioned officer with over six years experience with the JAG Wing(Judge Advocate General Branch) a legal branch of the India Army, “I left the army as the respect and repute of an Army Officer has gone down drastically in the recent years. I am a Third Generation Officer and have seen the services change a lot from what the Army was 15 years back. On the other hand job satisfaction is not there, one is restricted in the work they do and the freedom and ideas that can be implemented are curtailed as well. Lot of ego problems and trying to constantly change yourself as per whim’s and fancies of your commanding officer are also the reasons why I feel most of us have left the Army.”



But does he feel defense officers will get all that was missing in army from a private job?



“Of course,” says Capt Mankotia, “The sky is the limit once you walk out of the forces. There are large numbers of MNCs which are ready to select an Army officer based on the training and the discipline which makes us stand apart from the ordinary. But I feel that we also have more scope for job satisfaction in a private job because here the performance/results speak for the efforts put in. Whereas in defense services its more of a ACR based report which assesses our caliber, one may not have done anything or their knowledge about the profession may be zero but in the end what really counts is the ACR. If the commanding officer is happy nothing else is required. Moreover in defence like any other govt job a person knows that nobody can stop his salary and time scale promotions. So majority do not work nor contribute towards the growth of the organization.”



Also adds Flt Lt N S V Shalini, from Indian Air Force’s Technical Branch who opted out of the services after 8 yrs and is training at a management institute to hone her skills to be able to fit into the corporate world, “Though in the current scenario, working outside of Armed Forces seems less lucrative, in the long run it offers better pay. Also, opportunity for growth is more the prospect of being in your choice of residence seems better. A wide variety of jobs available in the market depending upon the experience of the Armed Forces Officer make the prospect of leaving the forces trouble-free. We also have the added advantage of being able to adapt and handle any job profile which removes any restriction of jobs for Armed Forces personnel. When the job is technical-oriented, those who are qualified and trained on that technology and software will be able to fit well into such job profiles.”



But ask her if after being trained to handle combat techniques can defense personnel handle private jobs which need more of people management, pat comes her reply, “It is but natural for ex-Armed Forces Officers to adapt to civilian jobs. Combat techniques involve a huge investment of your physical and mental capabilities and require intense and constant training and updating of skills. In civilian jobs, requirements are not as intense since you hardly face combat-like situations. In addition to that we spend six months to a year in management institutions like IIMs etc learning how to fit into a corporate world.”



While the ex-armed forces officers are confident enough, those with experience of having tested the corporate scenario prefer to remain skeptical.



Says Amit Jaiswal, an advocate who has worked closely with defense officers to solve their legal issues related to their employment, “Pursuing a career in the army most certainly limits the scope of growth in terms of the job scenario. Then there is always the stringent Army Act that most succumb to as well which further develops an superiority complex and a dictatorial attitude and mindset in an officer which prevents them from fitting into the proverbial diplomatic temperament a manager in a private firm needs to have. So they eventually end up running their own security firm or take on the responsibility of administration in education field. ”



Not so says Col PK Bose(retd), who is currently working with a private company dealing with finance security,ATM Management and high value cash management, “Having led two battalions of the Infantry man management, planning security and movement of highly vulnerable equipment and troops was part of my job. So it’s but natural that I take to a similar work profile post retirement. Though I did not take up any management training when I retired I feel the young officers doing so today will only add to their skills and enhance their chances of getting a job in the private sector.”



But are such officers cut out for working in a private arena after being trained for combat tactics?



Avers Bose, “Army officers are given skills that are very varied and which are inculcated in him during his training in the defense academies. So they are well equipped to handle manpower, maintain equipments, managing finance in terms of high security cash and salary and funds. The added plus is their people’s management skills given the fact that they handle troops made up of recruits from different parts of the country make them ideal to fit into the corporate world. So in my opinion a defense officer is the best choice private companies have to pick up as part of their staff and with most now training in management skills as well the package they have will be the best in the industry.”



Well coming straight from the horses mouth there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for those who wish quit wearing fatigues and take on a civilian role. Any takers head honchos?



Photo captions:

Pix1: A different kind of training. Ex-defense officers attending a management lecture at XLRI Jamshedpur.

Pix2: Honing those management skills catching up on the corporate techniques after these officers have perfected their combat skills.

Pix3: Class of 2009, the Defense Officers Batch undergoing management training at XLRI Jamshedpur.



Anjali Singh

(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)



Published in

Elites TV, USA

Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh

The Bangladesh Today, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan

The Colombo Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Banderas News, Mexico

Weekly Blitz

Ghana News, Accra, Ghana

Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal

Citizen News Service (CNS)

Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)

Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

Defense Industry Inbox Robots

Navy Recruiter

My Jamshedpur

Military Industy Update

Twitter

World News

Defense Forces take on the corporate battlefields!

Defense Forces take on the corporate battlefields!

Anjali Singh



Lucknow: The men in the forces sporting blues, greens and whites certainly have an enviable lifestyle. The respect comes with the job as does the adventure peppered with an aura of safeguarding the country’s frontiers. To top it all there’s always the glamour of donning a uniform as well.



Sounds good? Sure does. As for anyone an opportunity for making a livelihood in the defense services would seem like landing a dream job. But are the army, air force or navy officers who are already in the job happy with the picture perfect profession they have?



No way! They say. Not surprising either what with most ruing unequal pay scales, rigorous work routines which keep them away from their families and last but not the least slow professional growth. While that may sound quite dreary, the good news is the officers in the forces have now found a way out.



Most are opting out of the services and moving into the private sector to earn a living so that they can maintain a standard of lifestyle they have wanted but have not been able to achieve in the defense forces.



And predictably institutions like XLRI Jamshedpur and the other major B school all over the country like IIM A,B,C,I and L and MDI Gurgaon have become their hot favorites to realize those aspirations.



Says Capt Shakti Tahlan who recently retired from the Army’s short service commission and is pursuing a six months Executive Management Programme at XLRI Jamshedpur, “I knew my caliber was way above what the army was utilizing me for so the frustration of not doing enough was really getting to me. So when I got a chance to leave and join a course for resettlement I jumped at it. Currently I am pursuing a six months course in HR Management at XLRI Jamshedpur and post my course will be placed in a private company with a good salary. It’s just ideal for me.”



A fact that is seconded by Group Capt KS Malimath, who moved out of the Indian Air force after 22 years of service and is currently training at XLRI Jamshedpur as well, “To put it bluntly people are moving out of the defense services to explore greener pastures. Govt organization are no more what they were 20 years back. The armed forces have been degraded by external agents like IAS clan and internally everyone is finding themselves in a rut which is taking away professionalism from the service. Making matters worse is that being in the defense forces provides only promotions which does not exemplify professionalism as compared to private job offers which better professional growth.”



While a period of transition is indeed stressful, specially so when it is related to our professional field. Defense officers don’t feel the heat that much switching careers thanks to the management colleges they are entering to hone their skills required to excel in the private arena.



As explains Capt Tribhuvan Singh Mankotia a short service commissioned officer with over six years experience with the JAG Wing(Judge Advocate General Branch) a legal branch of the India Army, “I left the army as the respect and repute of an Army Officer has gone down drastically in the recent years. I am a Third Generation Officer and have seen the services change a lot from what the Army was 15 years back. On the other hand job satisfaction is not there, one is restricted in the work they do and the freedom and ideas that can be implemented are curtailed as well. Lot of ego problems and trying to constantly change yourself as per whim’s and fancies of your commanding officer are also the reasons why I feel most of us have left the Army.”



But does he feel defense officers will get all that was missing in army from a private job?



“Of course,” says Capt Mankotia, “The sky is the limit once you walk out of the forces. There are large numbers of MNCs which are ready to select an Army officer based on the training and the discipline which makes us stand apart from the ordinary. But I feel that we also have more scope for job satisfaction in a private job because here the performance/results speak for the efforts put in. Whereas in defense services its more of a ACR based report which assesses our caliber, one may not have done anything or their knowledge about the profession may be zero but in the end what really counts is the ACR. If the commanding officer is happy nothing else is required. Moreover in defence like any other govt job a person knows that nobody can stop his salary and time scale promotions. So majority do not work nor contribute towards the growth of the organization.”



Also adds Flt Lt N S V Shalini, from Indian Air Force’s Technical Branch who opted out of the services after 8 yrs and is training at a management institute to hone her skills to be able to fit into the corporate world, “Though in the current scenario, working outside of Armed Forces seems less lucrative, in the long run it offers better pay. Also, opportunity for growth is more the prospect of being in your choice of residence seems better. A wide variety of jobs available in the market depending upon the experience of the Armed Forces Officer make the prospect of leaving the forces trouble-free. We also have the added advantage of being able to adapt and handle any job profile which removes any restriction of jobs for Armed Forces personnel. When the job is technical-oriented, those who are qualified and trained on that technology and software will be able to fit well into such job profiles.”



But ask her if after being trained to handle combat techniques can defense personnel handle private jobs which need more of people management, pat comes her reply, “It is but natural for ex-Armed Forces Officers to adapt to civilian jobs. Combat techniques involve a huge investment of your physical and mental capabilities and require intense and constant training and updating of skills. In civilian jobs, requirements are not as intense since you hardly face combat-like situations. In addition to that we spend six months to a year in management institutions like IIMs etc learning how to fit into a corporate world.”



While the ex-armed forces officers are confident enough, those with experience of having tested the corporate scenario prefer to remain skeptical.



Says Amit Jaiswal, an advocate who has worked closely with defense officers to solve their legal issues related to their employment, “Pursuing a career in the army most certainly limits the scope of growth in terms of the job scenario. Then there is always the stringent Army Act that most succumb to as well which further develops an superiority complex and a dictatorial attitude and mindset in an officer which prevents them from fitting into the proverbial diplomatic temperament a manager in a private firm needs to have. So they eventually end up running their own security firm or take on the responsibility of administration in education field. ”



Not so says Col PK Bose(retd), who is currently working with a private company dealing with finance security,ATM Management and high value cash management, “Having led two battalions of the Infantry man management, planning security and movement of highly vulnerable equipment and troops was part of my job. So it’s but natural that I take to a similar work profile post retirement. Though I did not take up any management training when I retired I feel the young officers doing so today will only add to their skills and enhance their chances of getting a job in the private sector.”



But are such officers cut out for working in a private arena after being trained for combat tactics?



Avers Bose, “Army officers are given skills that are very varied and which are inculcated in him during his training in the defense academies. So they are well equipped to handle manpower, maintain equipments, managing finance in terms of high security cash and salary and funds. The added plus is their people’s management skills given the fact that they handle troops made up of recruits from different parts of the country make them ideal to fit into the corporate world. So in my opinion a defense officer is the best choice private companies have to pick up as part of their staff and with most now training in management skills as well the package they have will be the best in the industry.”



Well coming straight from the horses mouth there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for those who wish quit wearing fatigues and take on a civilian role. Any takers head honchos?



Photo captions:

Pix1: A different kind of training. Ex-defense officers attending a management lecture at XLRI Jamshedpur.

Pix2: Honing those management skills catching up on the corporate techniques after these officers have perfected their combat skills.

Pix3: Class of 2009, the Defense Officers Batch undergoing management training at XLRI Jamshedpur.



Anjali Singh

(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)



Published in

Elites TV, USA

Thai Indian News, Bangkok, Thailand

Central Chronicle, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh

The Bangladesh Today, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Pakistan Christian Post, Karachi, Pakistan

The Colombo Times, Colombo, Sri Lanka

The Banderas News, Mexico

Weekly Blitz

Ghana News, Accra, Ghana

Media for Freedom, Kathmandu, Nepal

Citizen News Service (CNS)

Bihar and Jharkhand News Service (BJNS)

Bihar Times, Patna, Bihar

Defense Industry Inbox Robots

Navy Recruiter

My Jamshedpur

Military Industy Update

Twitter

World News

NAPM condemns attempts to dilute the RTI Act

NAPM condemns attempts to dilute the RTI Act

In a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Right to Information (RTI) Campaign of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) held at Darul-Shafa, Lucknow today participants from 16 districts strongly condemned the move by the State Government to exclude certain areas like information related to appointment of Governor, Ministers, High Court Judges, code of conduct for Ministers and letters written by the Governor to the President from the the purview of the RTI Act. The government had earlier taken out the department of civil aviation from the purview of the Act. These tampering with the RTI Act are against the letter and spirit of the Act and State Government is not authorized to do these. Under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act the State Government can only consider intelligence and security organization for exemption from this Act. The action of the State Government is also against the article 256 of the Constitution.

The notifications issued by the State Government taking out five subjects and the department of civil aviation from the purview of the RTI Act will be challenged in the court of law as well as state wide public demonstrations organized on 15th June, 2009. In Lucknow the demonstration will take place outside the Vidhan Sabha.

In addition a national level meeting will be organized to condemn the action of the State Government as well as to highlight the laxity in implementation of the RTI Act by the Public Information Officers, First Appeal Authorities and the Information Commission of the State. Numerous applicants who attended the meeting expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs of implementation of the RTI Act in the State.

SR Darapuri, Izhar Ahmad, Keshav Chand, Jayashankar, Arvind Murti, Mahendra Singh Rathore, Urvashi Sharma, Himanshu Swarnkar, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Munnalal Shukla, Akhilesh Saxena, Ajay Patel, Neelkamal, Rambabu, Ashok Bharti, Rajesh Maurya, Prem Kumar, Vishwesh, Sandeep Pandey

National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Uttar Pradesh
Contact: Bobby Ramakant, 9839073355, Arvind Murti, 9839835032

NAPM condemns attempts to dilute the RTI Act

NAPM condemns attempts to dilute the RTI Act

In a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Right to Information (RTI) Campaign of National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) held at Darul-Shafa, Lucknow today participants from 16 districts strongly condemned the move by the State Government to exclude certain areas like information related to appointment of Governor, Ministers, High Court Judges, code of conduct for Ministers and letters written by the Governor to the President from the the purview of the RTI Act. The government had earlier taken out the department of civil aviation from the purview of the Act. These tampering with the RTI Act are against the letter and spirit of the Act and State Government is not authorized to do these. Under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act the State Government can only consider intelligence and security organization for exemption from this Act. The action of the State Government is also against the article 256 of the Constitution.

The notifications issued by the State Government taking out five subjects and the department of civil aviation from the purview of the RTI Act will be challenged in the court of law as well as state wide public demonstrations organized on 15th June, 2009. In Lucknow the demonstration will take place outside the Vidhan Sabha.

In addition a national level meeting will be organized to condemn the action of the State Government as well as to highlight the laxity in implementation of the RTI Act by the Public Information Officers, First Appeal Authorities and the Information Commission of the State. Numerous applicants who attended the meeting expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs of implementation of the RTI Act in the State.

SR Darapuri, Izhar Ahmad, Keshav Chand, Jayashankar, Arvind Murti, Mahendra Singh Rathore, Urvashi Sharma, Himanshu Swarnkar, Mahendra Pratap Singh, Munnalal Shukla, Akhilesh Saxena, Ajay Patel, Neelkamal, Rambabu, Ashok Bharti, Rajesh Maurya, Prem Kumar, Vishwesh, Sandeep Pandey

National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Uttar Pradesh
Contact: Bobby Ramakant, 9839073355, Arvind Murti, 9839835032

Thai Rock Band Urges Youth to stay away from Cigarettes

Thai Rock Band Urges Youth to stay away from Cigarettes
Jittima Jantanamalaka



A Thai Rock Band group by the name of Mulatto is really creating waves these days in Thailand. It can really be called a smoke free and environment friendly band, as all its members are non smokers. They come from different backgrounds but all have one thing in common – none of them ever liked the smell of cigarettes. It always made them feel dizzy, and not euphoric, as their music does.

Rock band members are generally supposed to be ‘cool guys’ and are very often role models of the youngsters. Well the four members of this band are musicians with a mission --- the mission to spread awareness about the lethal hazards of smoking.

Despite growing up in a society which thrives on cigarettes, they have shunned this evil since their childhood. They were drawn to music instead, since early childhood.

The singing voice of the band, Nat Sonkasertrin (M), was brought up in a slum, which abounded with smokers. Yet from his early childhood he decided not to smoke as the cigarette smoke always irritated his eyes and throat.

His father was a confirmed smoker; puffing away two packs a day, since the age of sixteen. By the time he was 50 years old, he developed lung cancer and has hence been deprived of one of his lungs. His sufferings proved to be a blessing in disguise for his son M, who vowed never to light a cigarette.

Ton, the drummer had childhood friends who smoked. Once, one of his friends was injured, along with many others due to an accident caused by smoking.

This year on ‘World No Tobacco Day’, the WHO has focused its attention on pictorial health warnings on tobacco packs, as 5.4 million people worldwide continue to be snapped down by preventable diseases caused by smoking. In fact, this year the ‘Action On Smoking and Health Foundation’ (ASH) from Thailand was awarded internationally for its efforts in enforcing pictorial warnings on cigarette packs. Yet, according to the Ministry of Health Thailand, the country has 9.5 million smokers, out of which 1.27 million are youths. Increasing the price of cigarettes too has not been much of a deterrent. But perhaps gory pictures on cigarette packs will have more profound effect on the smokers’ psyche.

Bands like Mulatto can really act as brand ambassadors for anti smoking campaigns. Its members mince no words when they compare cigarettes to narcotics, and one of them feels that smoking should be made illegal. Despite the high risks involved, adolescents continue to be drawn to smoking, sometimes due to peer pressure and sometimes to simply make a fashion statement, thinking it is cool to smoke. Movie stars shown smoking in films, (like the one named 2499, about Thai mafia) add fuel to the desire of smoking, as the youth always try to emulate them.

Mulatto carries its message to all its concert shows, asking the young audience, in a very subtle way to quit smoking. Rather than condemn or force, they talk to them with sincerity. They tell them, ‘We care about you and we love you. So for the sake of friendship please do not smoke.’ Beautiful thoughts indeed! Since they are in a very cool and happening profession, their abstinence at once awes and inspires their audience.

Let us hope on this No Tobacco Day that there will be more such dedicated artists, urging people to make music instead of smoke.

Jittima Jantanamalaka

[The author is the Director of Jay Inspire, Thailand]

Related clip by Jay Inspire, Thailand:
World No Tobacco Day 2009: Youth & Tobacco Health Warning(with English sub-title)