Saral Joshi

I have been reading in the newspapers for some time now about the rising incidence of school violence in India encompassing stabbing, molesting, and rapes. This is not normal. What is happening to the youth of India? What is changing in our society to make children less sensitive? I do not remember the situation being so bad around 20 or 25 years back.


I have read about so many instances of school shootings and other violent behavior displayed by school children in the U.S. Horrible, horrible tales of kids, of teenagers thinking that the best way to vent out their anger and angst against the people who ignored them, bullied them, or just walked away from them, was to maim them, shoot them, or kill them. American society talks about gun control and how important it is to bring in regulations on using guns. While that is an important piece of legislation, the problem is more deep-rooted. It is a social problem. One of the reasons stems from a possible disconnect that these kids experience from their families and society in general. It would be absolutely wrong for me to judge the parents of these kids who take to violent behavior because I do not know their circumstances. According to a research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice, there are many risk factors that lead to school students behaving and thinking violently.


But, I also know that nobody is born a killer. Circumstances, society, and parental influence play a major role in transforming an innocent child into a cold-blooded monster. Many of these violent thoughts could be dealt with early on, only if children could talk to their parents openly about what was troubling them. And I believe that is the missing link. Sometimes parents of violent children are too caught up dealing with their own problems that they do not consider it important enough to understand what their child is going through. Many parents are blind to their children's faults, which is also another reason for children to not know the line that divides right from wrong. When a child is a bit different from others, society makes a mockery of their odd behavior, looks, or even dressing. This pushes children to withdraw within themselves. There are so many other reasons - socioeconomic, psychological, hereditary, and so on, but I do believe that with the right kind of support from family and society, such violent behavior and mindset can be nipped in the bud.


So, what has changed in the Indian society that has made children more violent than before? It could be the higher exposure to media, where certain stereotypes are formed of how one should behave or dress. It could be the rise of dysfunctional families in India. The earlier system of joint families had many advantages, one of the most important being the emotional support that grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins could give even if parents failed to do so. With both parents going to work within a nuclear family setup, the child comes back from school to an empty house. Most children do not have that emotional connect with their parents, which prevents them from discussing their problems or thought processes, even when their parents are around.

n is the key. So the first step in fighting against the rise of violence among the next generation is for parents to create a conducive environment for open conversations with their children. Children need to feel their visibility and importance. They need to know that they are being noticed and that they are valued. And that feeling and knowledge should start at home. When there are psychological causes for the violent behavior in children, parents need to take their children for counseling. There's no shame in getting professional help for children to become better people.

Source: The Super Indian

Since we weren't invited we sufficed ourselves with these photos. Here, I have the pictures.

Source: www.google.co.in

This is Kashmir and these people are gathered to pay tribute to Hizbul Terrorist Wani who was killed by security forces in Anantnag, Jammu-Kashmir. He was a terrorist, people made him hero in Kashmir. How shameful is this, our defense forces stake their lives for our security. And these noble people of kashmir are crying their hearts out for a fucking terrorist.

Thousands who live on our taxes, are protected by our forces, use our passports will turn up for ‪#‎BurhanWani‬'s funeral. Shameful.

Do they really wanna be part of Pakistan! Let them be, but we will keep our land. Let them the fuck wherever they want to.

Militant who got killed in exchange of bullets became hero for all these people. Now some fucking human rights activists will show up, asking IA to quit Kashmir, let them live peacefully, bitch please! 

We strongly wish that those people who raised Pakistani flag, and support terrorism and separatist militant should be deported to the country they wanna die for. 

This boils my blood. Why the hell these people are part of India. 

Good Job Indian Army, keep kicking their ass and send these terrorists to hell with 72 virgin Goats.

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Setback for gay community, which argued that penal code undermined their rights by failing to protect sexual preferences

India’s supreme court has refused to hear a petition challenging a law criminalising gay sex, in a setback for activists battling in the country’s courts to get the ban overturned.

A number of well-known lesbian, gay and bisexual Indians had argued that section 377 of India’s penal code, which prohibits “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal”, undermined their fundamental rights by failing to protect their sexual preferences.

“The supreme court refused to hear the matter and asked the petitioners to approach the chief justice of India,” said Arvind Dattar, a lawyer for one of the petitioners.

India’s chief justice is already hearing a separate case to strike down the ban, and India’s top court has previously argued that only parliament has the power to change section 377.

The decision is the latest setback India’s gay community has faced in its fight to get a prohibition on homosexual sex overturned since the supreme court reinstated a colonial-era ban in late 2013.

That ban ended a four-year period of decriminalisation that had helped bring homosexuality increasingly out into the open in a deeply conservative society.

Violation of the law on gay sex can result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Dear Kashmiri friends (the ones who don’t like India),

I write in this open forum because something terrible is happening in the Kashmir Valley. The recent events at NIT Srinagar only brought the situation to national attention. Some students burst crackers when India lost the T20 semi-final. Many students were beaten for raising the Indian flag. Thereafter, bloody clashes have broken out in north Kashmir.

I understand that there is little pro-India sentiment amongst locals in the Kashmir Valley. Many would rather the Valley be on its own, some wouldn’t even mind being with Pakistan. I will not judge you. Despite being a patriotic Indian, i won’t hold it against you if you hate India. You must and do have your reasons for it.

However, allow me to present another point of view. Allow me to tell you how your future will be best, on a practical basis, if the Kashmir Valley integrates and assimilates with India. This is not an emotional, political or historical argument. It is simply more rational for people in the Kashmir Valley who seek a better future to do it with India.

Sure, the experts will jump on me now. Experts who have made the Kashmir problem their fiefdom. However, if the problem were indeed solved, how will these people stay relevant? Hence, they always attack any solution with their elitist ‘this is too complicated an issue’ stance. They love complicated. It gives them another conference to attend. You suffer with complicated, as the problem never gets solved.

The issue is complicated for sure. For those who don’t know the Kashmir issue, here it is in a nutshell. India became independent. Princely states were assimilated. Jammu & Kashmir didn’t accede. Pakistan attacked Kashmir, took half of it (and still controls it). Kashmir’s ruler called India for help. In return for help J&K became part of India, but with riders.

J&K would have its own constitution, have more political independence than other states, while the Centre would handle defence, foreign affairs and communications. In theory, it was a good solution, a sort of one country, two systems approach. In reality, it never worked.

Instead of two parents as planned, J&K became nobody’s child and an orphan. Pakistan took advantage and used the common factor of Islam to start a militant movement. The Indian army tried to control it. However, it is difficult to control terrorism that co-exists with a civilian population (case in point: even the world’s superpowers appear unable to control Islamic State).

Hence the Indian army, and India, only got a bad name in the Valley. Thus the ‘we hate India’ slogans and perennially unsolved Kashmir problem.

The question is, what is a Kashmiri youth to do now? First, it is important for everyone, not just Kashmiris, to understand the area and people involved. The J&K map we see in Indian textbooks is far from what exists on the ground. Half of what we see in the map is taken over by Pakistan and China. Even though India may claim it, unless we are okay with heavy civilian casualties (which we are not), we will never get it.

Hence, let’s just focus on the half under Indian control, which can be divided into three areas: Ladakh, Jammu and the Valley. Most of the trouble is in the Kashmir Valley. This is only around 7% of the area Indians see on the J&K map and approximates the size of Manipur. In terms of people it is 7 million, roughly the population of Chennai.

The terrain is rugged and the area is completely landlocked. Even if we were to indulge the argument that India is a terrible country and so Kashmir Valley should be on its own, can you really build a sustainable country out of it? It will be a tiny stub in a troubled area, abused by both India and Pakistan. With no real economy and extreme dependence on its giant neighbours, it risks becoming a cesspool of terrorism, drugs and smuggling.

There is also a risk of its being taken over by fundamentalist Islamic forces. It is unlikely anybody from outside would invest money in such a dangerous place. There would be no jobs and no safety. Would you want to live there? Ditto if it joins Pakistan. India is seen as a major emerging market economy. Pakistan is not even seen as a real economy.

Another issue is women’s rights. Half of the Valley’s people are women. Given the hold of fundamentalist Islam, their rights would be curbed under both the independence and Pakistan options. This half of the population would be better off with India. Or do what women want not matter?

If you are Kashmiri and care for Kashmir, the best thing you can do is to integrate with India. Your population size is small, only 7 million. It is not unthinkable to unite them and create a group of people that talks real business with the Indian government. Your local politician won’t talk assimilation, as he or she would rather hold more power than a typical state government in India. However, for you, the youth, the best bet is to make the Valley truly part of India.

The rest of India should not ask for the removal of Article 370. The 7 million people in the Valley should. Kashmiri Pandits who were made to leave the Valley need to be brought back. Terrorism is no solution, nor revenge and retribution for Indian atrocities. Terrorism is only going to harm people in the Valley most.

So, it is youth in the Valley who have to now start a movement to really solve this problem. Get rid of Article 370. It is not empowering Kashmir. It is only empowering your local politicians, who frankly can do nothing for you without Indian integration.

Don’t blame the Indian army. It has the tough job of weeding out terrorists from a civilian population which is almost impossible without collateral damage, terrible as that might be. However, blame those truly responsible, the Pakistani army, the local leaders who exploited the situation and the experts who did nothing for you.

Don’t burst crackers when India loses. Don’t feel good when India fails.

Because if India fails, you will fail too.

Jai Hind. Jai Kashmir.

Image: www.google.co.in

Encouraging the people to join the cyber-war against ISIS, hacktivist group Anonymous has published three hacking guides. These guides have instructions regarding recognizing ISIS-affiliated websites, using a Twitter bot to uncover social media accounts of ISIS, and learning how to hack using a “NoobGuide” 

Image Source: www.google.co.in

AHMEDABAD: 

Thirty years after the Patedars or Patels of Gujarat took to the streets protesting against reservation for Dalits, Adivasis and Other Backward Castes in government jobs and educational institutions, they are agitating once again. This time, the Patels want to be counted as one of the socially and economically the weaker communities in the State. Led by Hardik Patel, a 21-year-old young businessman who has become the face of the movement, the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has been holding massive rallies in small towns and large cities for the past two months with the warning that they can "make and break governments in Gujarat."

The Patedars or Patels of Gujarat or Patels constitute barely 15 per cent of the state's population, according to the 1931 caste census (the stats from the recent caste census have yet to be released by the government) but since its formation in 1960, the community has wielded a disproportionate amount of political and financial power. That's why their demand for inclusion in the OBC category appears surprising.

After all, the Patels, primarily agriculturists, also have huge interests in industries as diverse as textiles, diamonds and pharmaceuticals. They have been, for the last two decades, the most militant and loyal cheerleaders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development model for Gujarat designed and implemented during his terms as Chief Minister.

Politically, the dominance of the Patedar community over Gujarat has been near complete. Till the late 1970s, they were Congress supporters, but when the growing ambitions of the backward castes could no longer be ignored, the Congress turned its back on the Patels and forged an alliance of Kshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims, popularly known as KHAM, which ruled the state through the 1980s.

This was a period of great social unrest in Gujarat. Deprived of power, the Patels hit back by launching the violent anti-reservation movements of 1981 and 1985 which targeted both Dalits and OBCs. Forsaken by the Congress, they switched sides to the BJP, and emerged as its most trusted vote bank by the 90s. In exchange, the community continues to be handsomely rewarded. Presently, 40 of the 120 BJP law-makers in the state are Patels, including Chief Minister Anandiben and seven of her senior cabinet colleagues.

One reason the Patels want to be OBCs, believes social scientist Achyut Yagnik, who is based in Ahmedabad, is to get their children into medical and engineering colleges or institutions providing technical education which could make it easier for them to migrate abroad, as well as find jobs locally. The fact that they are poorly represented in these sectors is because the Patels have traditionally chosen to go into business at a young age, instead of pursuing higher studies. Now they are looking for a change. Because somewhere the Vibrant Gujarat story has disappointed even the most ardent BJP fans in the community, particularly amongst the youth.

Here is why. For years, a large section of middle and lower middle class Patels in rural areas had invested their surplus cash from agriculture in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The Vibrant Gujarat model - which seeks big investment in the state for infrastructure and other projects - largely overlooked these to focus on big business and industry. Today, according to data compiled by the RBI from scheduled (private and nationalized) commercialized banks, of the 2.61 lakh MSMEs registered with the Gujarat government, over 48,000 are sick, second only to Uttar Pradesh. The MSMEs employ more than 21 lakh people and are located mainly in the districts of Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bharuch, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Valsad which have a large population of Patels, many of whom are now out of work.

To make matters worse, the diamond industry of Surat, controlled by the Patels of Saurashtra, is facing a sharp slump. In the past six months, more than 10,000 workers have been laid off while nearly 150 units have shut down. That's why the pro-reservation rally held in the city a fortnight ago attracted a crowd of nearly 4 lakh people.

This show of strength has brought together the two major sub-castes of the Patels, the Kadvas and Leuvas. A third, much smaller group, the Anjanas, practiced the barter system and were therefore considered socially backward and eligible for OBC status right from the beginning. So last year while they benefited from the State's recruitment drive for permanent teaching posts in schools, the police force and other government departments, the growing army of unemployed Kadva and Leuva Patels were left out of the selection process, triggering the first protests across North Gujarat where the Anjanas are concentrated and share neighbourhoods with the other Patels.

The Supreme Court has ruled that reservations cannot cross the 50 per cent mark in any state which Gujarat has already reached. That's why the demand by the Patels for a piece of the 27 per cent OBC reservation pie (part of the overall 50 per cent quota) has pitted them against the 146 groups which are already on the backward list and includes Prime Minster Narendra Modi's community, the Ghanchis, who acquired OBC status as late as 1999 and monopolise the oil and grain trade in Gujarat. The comparatively less prosperous and more aggressive Rabaris, Bharwads, Kolis and Thakores, amongst others, have threatened to oppose any further division of their quota.

Caste tensions are already rising in the state. During a recent cycle rally taken out by the Patels in Bapunagar, an industrial suburb of Ahmedabad, with a large Scheduled Caste population, anti-Dalit slogans were repeatedly raised. Although Scheduled Castes are non-players in the ongoing reservation drama, they are amongst its most visible beneficiaries in urban areas. And in a society, which despite its economic growth, is deeply caste ridden, and communally divided, this cannot be good news.

#Patidar #PatidarAnamat #Ahmedabad

Source: www.google.co.in

So, the CBSE Results are out and the whole internet is going crazy over it. And, this day can get a little depressing, especially if you’re just another average student. But don’t be disheartened. So what if you cannot get into the best college in India? Most of us cannot. It’s not the end of life, just the beginning. You’re in your teens right now, the real journey is yet to start. Be hopeful, be dreamy, be aspirational, be inspirational. What do you do from here on is what really counts. Your mark sheet is just a piece of paper – it cannot decide your destiny! You are a lot more than your grades. So, cheer up, because the best is yet to come!

Mumbai: In a huge relief to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the Bombay High Court on Friday suspended his 5-year sentence in the 2002 hit-and-run case and granted him bail pending his appeal against conviction.

Prosecutor Sandeep Shinde, while seeking denial of bail to the actor, countered its claim, saying it was only just before the conclusion of the trial that Salman Khan had made a statement under section 313 of CrPC in which he claimed it was Singh, who was driving the SUV.

Salman was himself not present in the court during the hearing as it was not required under the law.

Image Source: www.google.co.in

German industrial giant Siemens plans to cut 4,500 jobs or about 1% of its total global workforce and, months after it announced plans to slash more than 7,000 jobs.

(Ravish Kumar: TV Anchor, Journalist Pens Open Letter to Salman Khan)

Salman Bhai,

Bollywood star Salman Khan, known for his bulging biceps and off-camera temper tantrums, faces jail this week if convicted of drunkenly driving over sleeping homeless men 12 years ago, killing one of them.

Khan, star of blockbusters Bodyguard and Dabangg, is accused of losing control of his SUV after a night of drinking rum and cocktails at an upmarket bar in Mumbai in 2002 and fleeing the scene.

After years of court hearings and legal hold-ups, a judge in Mumbai is on Wednesday finally expected to hand down his verdict on the 49-year-old actor on charges of culpable homicide.

Khan faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty following a trial whose every twist has been followed by the country's media.

Public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said he had presented the case as best he could to the Bombay sessions court judge, adding "we can only hope but cannot predict" a conviction.

"I am 100% confident that I have done my job and duty to the best of my ability," Gharat said on Monday.

Khan pleaded not guilty at trial, saying his driver was responsible for the late night crash in which his Toyota Land Cruiser mounted the pavement where five men were sleeping outside a bakery in the upmarket suburb of Bandra West.

A constable attached to Khan's security detail said in his statement to police that the drunk actor lost control of the car while driving at about 90 kilometres an hour.

"The people were sleeping on the footpath. Salman and (his cousin) Kamaal ran away from the spot," the constable, who died in 2007 of tuberculosis, said.

One of the sleeping labourers injured in the accident said in his statement that "Salman was so drunk he fell. He stood but he fell again and then he... ran away."

But Khan's lawyers said the action and romantic comedy star had in fact been drinking water all evening and had climbed out of the driver's seat after the accident because the passenger side door had been damaged.

They also said the homeless man was killed during an operation to move the car, rather than the crash itself, when the bumper fell off and landed on him.

Finally, last month, his driver took the stand and said he crashed after the front left tyre burst, making steering and braking difficult.

Here’s what happens next:

Image Source: www.google.co.in

Kathmandu, Nepal: Half a million tents are urgently needed for the huge number of people forced from their homes by Nepal's devastating earthquake, a government minister said Wednesday.

Minendra Rijal, Nepal's minister of information and communications, said relief operations were underway but that much more needs to be done.

"Life is returning to normal, but it will be some time to be completely normal," he said. "We have still not been able to properly manage to provide relief."

Want to learn more about Nepal? Get the Fast Facts

Rijal wasn't able to put a precise number on those made homeless by Saturday's devastating quake, but he said the government had so far provided more than 4,700 tents and 22,000 tarpaulins to those in need of shelter.

Aircraft loaded with tents are expected from India and Thailand in the next day, he said, with another 100,000 tents expected from Pakistan.

Two UNICEF flights arrived Wednesday with supplies such as water-purification tablets, family hygiene kits and tents and tarps.

UNICEF Regional Communication Advisor Jean-Jacques Simon said the supplies "are desperately needed by those living in camps, and other areas in Kathmandu, the Kathmandu Valley and in hard-to-reach remote areas, where UNICEF plans to distribute the items as soon as possible."

The United Nations has said the quake has affected 8 million people across 39 districts.

Rijal said 21 helicopters, including seven provided by India, were helping in the rescue and relief efforts, with 866 people rescued by air and a little more than 1,000 rescued using land transport.

As rescue workers seek to reach people who desperately need help, the weather is making things worse.

Heavy rain has intensified the hardships for the countless Nepalis who are sleeping out in the open because their homes were destroyed or they don't feel safe inside buildings amid continuing aftershocks.

At Tundhikal Park, known now as Tent City, the crowds are thinning, but it's not necessarily a sign of improvement.

On Wednesday, some had enough of sleeping huddled in a tent and were readying to return to their houses. That's the correct term -- houses; they were no longer homes, no longer places of sanctuary.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Wednesday to express condolences, the White House said. This is the first time Obama has spoken with the Prime Minister since Saturday's first earthquake.

Obama and he talked about disaster response efforts and Obama pledged that the United States "will do all that it can to help the people of Nepal in their time of need," the White House said.

In the district of Gorkha, where the magnitude-7.8 quake was centered, a large storm rumbled over the mountainous terrain Tuesday afternoon.

"That essentially shut down helicopter missions for the entire afternoon, except for a small window before sunset," Matt Darvas, an emergency communications officer for the humanitarian group World Vision, told CNN on Wednesday. He's currently in the main town in Gorkha.

But signs of improvement can be found.

Outside the walls of Ranta Park's tent city, the streets are beginning to come back to life. Small groups work together to clear sidewalks and roads of rubble after the earthquake. Cars and motorbikes buzz down the streets, while shops reopen for business. Street vendors are out once again.

But Ranta Park is still a grim place There are few signs of activity here, as families wait for some change in the status quo.

From Delhi to Nepal: A flight of sorrow and hope to cover an earthquake

Some 5,238 people were confirmed dead as of Wednesday evening as a result of the massive earthquake, with another 10,348 injured, Nepal's National Emergency Coordination Center told CNN. Officials have warned the death toll is expected to rise.

Two neighboring countries, India and China, have reported totals of 72 and 25 deaths from the quake, respectively.

The frequent downpours in Nepal have made it harder for emergency workers to help the injured.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta was at an army field hospital in Kathmandu when the heavens opened Tuesday.

"The rain has arrived, and in many cases, this is the worst-case scenario," he said. "This is what they were hoping wouldn't happen."

Gupta said it was "kind of remarkable what they've been able to do" at the makeshift hospital. Over three days, the medical staff there had treated 617 patients and saved 586 of them.

Original Source:  www.cnn.com