Tag: YIR

Poverty

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What is Poverty?

Poverty is a condition in which basic needs of an individual cannot be fulfilled. Facts say that two- thirds of the population in India live in poverty.

  • Poverty

 Main Causes:

  •  Unemployment
  •  Lack of education
  • Migration to urban areas

 Unemployment and lack of education are interrelated with each other. Education is the most important and basic need of every person for his/hers well-being. With poverty, comes the lack of basic human needs.

 Although India is a developing country, it still fails to eliminate the serious issue of poverty. The other main cause is over- population. Deprivation is more deadly than any other disease a man encounters.

Deprivation has caused people to pay less attention to health. It leads to malnutrition, which in turn leads to high infant mortality. Children in the poverty line have no access to education. It affects the life of a poor family.

Steps the government has taken:

In order to make education reach every individual, the government has taken several steps like establishing government schools by providing free education, free uniforms, and books. Still, the parents of the poor kids don’t realize the importance of education. Instead of educating their child, they indulge them into child labor trading the kid’s future for money. The awareness of education to the people in poverty should be created. Personal hygiene plays a crucial role in order to lead a healthy and peaceful life. Poor sanitation leads to several health risks. The best example will be the issue the whole world is facing- Covid19. It stressed us the importance of personal hygiene.

How to eradicate poverty?

  • Increase in employment
  • By satisfying the basic needs of an individual
  • Sanitation facility

Besides, we could also contribute something to control it. We could donate our old clothes to poor people, provide them a good meal, help them with education etc.

Our one such act may not fulfill all their requirements but can make their day.

Written by- R.Varsha

http://neelakalam.com/author/Varsha/

Gender – Always Ask, Never Assume

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person with body painting
Phobia from reality

What if you were eighteen, but people told you you’re twenty three just because “you look like it”? What if you were a vegan, but people called you a vegetarian saying “it’s pretty much the same thing”? What if you had Burgundy hair, but people laughed at you, and said your hair was black, just because they couldn’t see it? Wouldn’t this make you angry? Wouldn’t you feel like they were forcing their opinions on you without knowing the truth? Well, that is exactly how one feels, when you, without knowing their identity, just go ahead and assume their gender and their preferred pronoun.

What is Gender Identity

Gender identity is the personal sense of one’s gender and it may or may not correlate with their birth/biological gender. Gender identity is about how one experiences their own gender, despite what society expects. Gender can be shown through your identity (eg. labels, pronouns), body (eg. appearance), etc.

The Struggle for Identity

Chris Fernandes (he/him) who is the CEO and Founder of Goa Rainbow Trust talks about the different issues he had to tackle as a trans man.”I have always been attracted to females, but I didn’t know how to explain (my sexuality and identity) to my parents or relatives at that time (at a young age) so I dated boys to please my family and society”. But after a few years, when the pressure from his parents became unbearable, he told them the truth.

“In 2013, I started working as a veterinary nurse as I was passionate about animals. Getting back home, I would go online and search for people from the LGBTQ+ community. That is when Goa Rainbow started.” But since section 377 was still enforced then, not many people showed up. However, soon after the decriminalisation of section 377, the Goa Rainbow Trust was re-established and is now legally registered as an NGO for LGBTQ++ community. “We now ensure to have regular meetings every fortnight, weekend or Sunday. LGBTQ+ individuals as well as allies are always welcome to come and be a part of such meetings” he adds.

In 2019, The Psychology department of our college held a discussion forum to raise awareness about the LGBTQ++ community and Chris was invited as the Guest speaker. 

Francis Fernandes (he/him) who is a member of the Trust, says “I think we need to respect what people identify themselves as and not force our assumptions of their gender on them based on their appearance or behavioural characteristics.” He further tells that he identifies as an androgynous man, but people often assume he is a cross-dresser, the two being completely different things. He says in order to spread awareness about Gender Identification, we must educate the masses starting fron schools, colleges and work places.

What can be done?

Gender identification is more serious than one believes it to be. One’s ignorant nature towards someone’s identity could lead to great harm to that person’s physical and mental health. We as a society must respect others’ preferences with respect to their gender. A small step towards a bigger change would be always asking someone their preferred pronouns instead of assuming it. Discussing this issue on social media, holding meets, and even talking about it to your friends and family can be of great help.

Written by – Sakshi Desai

An episode of Hathras – Has a lesson been learnt?

Article Contest, Social

Consummation- the very word defines as a completion. In the episodes of marriage, consummation comprehends it as a completion through sex. India, which is a magnificent seat, of orthodox principles, has a lineage of cluster family. The elders of the family found it bashful even to speak or utter the word, intercourse or sex, in public. They would even live a monotonous life once they cross a mean age. In recent years, this collocation is lost.
The daily that we skim through has news of nothing but sexual assault, molestation, gang rape and so on. The thing with such a secluded or a private affair has been drifted. To be more precarious, it is thrust. What happened in Hathras? Where are we heading?


Where are we heading?


A decade ago it was Jyoti Singh or the case of Delhi gang rape, and now it is the case of Hathras. The incident throws light on the misappropriate handling of the innocent damsels in their hamlets. ‘ Black lives matter’ gained momentum a few months back in the US. Anecdotes happening around the small hamlet ‘Hathras’ will shoot ‘Dalit lives matter’ into the limelight. It keeps me locked in disdain when rape statistics are looked into.

Three thousand four hundred eighty-six cases of rape against women ( Dalit minors) in 2019.
Rajasthan has the highest number of rapes against Dalit women (554) then followed by Uttar Pradesh(537) and then by Madhya Pradesh(510)
Rate of rape against Dalit women is the highest in Kerala – 4.6 (per lakh population), followed by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan( both by 4.5)
Only 32% conviction rate of offences under POA act (prevention of atrocities act), The scheduled castes and tribes.


Riya Singh, part of the core leadership of collective Dalit women, fight, briefs on NCRB figures about assaults on Scheduled caste Women and minors amounting to 3366 in 2019 is only the tip of an iceberg. The stumbling blocks sprawling before them in each step to the process of justice are not paltry-sized but little humongous.


First, one being the hurdle in filing the FIR. In 99% cases, the police hands one an acknowledgement of a non-cognisable offence instead of an FIR under the scheduled caste and scheduled Tribe (POA) act. Extra pressure is needed in each case to file an FIR and the next being, getting the FIR done under the accurate sections of the POA act and not just the IPC.


Secondly, the village network compliant to the existing caste core in the village is a big problem. Khap panchayats play the role of local supreme courts. When someone tries to file an FIR, the Upper Caste people reach the police station, changing the testimony of the woman before being written down. In other words, the woman is settled for a compromise. Victims are often on the receiving end of the slanders by the police officers too.


Thirdly, they don’t involve in supplicating the whole act, or they won’t instance the right sections. This evolves that if the trial reaches court and if not under the POA act, then the victims won’t get the full benefit. It means that these cases are meant to go to exclusive special courts, and the survivor’s family have entitled the compensation and travel allowances. The investigation is also meant to b completed within 60 days.


Lastly, there is a delay in the compensations to be received after the FIR registered. They too receive it after hundred of follow-ups and door knocks. There have been many cases were court-appointed lawyers don’t tell survivors their court dates, and even sometimes they have no idea who her lawyer even is.


The Hathras case may share outrage and protests with Nirbhaya, but constitutes a sheer difference in the administrative response as well as its possible impact. What has been learnt?
Strict adherence to the procedures laid under the POA act is essential. Instead of such outrages, the Upper caste folks should sensitise their communities and build a lively public discourse on affirmative policies like reservation that assures our fair representation within systems and right away withdraw their biases towards the POA act.

Written By – Ramya Sree. D

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Unheard Part Four

Horror Fiction, story

After they bought chau to their livelihood, they made him free and were watching him with full concentration.

He was scared that what’s going to be happened next, but!!!

They offered Chau some food and stuff to eat. He was surprised and happy. He thought they are good people and will not hurt him.

Suddenly when he was busy in his feast he heard people outside are singing

“TSAEF YAD”. After many attempts he didn’t understand what they are singing, so he wrote it in a paper and jumbled them in many ways but was not able to understand.

So he left it, wondering why to exhaust

mind in this.

He started preparing for his missionary for what he came, he opened books and carried a notebook in his pocket.

Then he went out to call everyone, but the scenario he saw lasted him in terror.

The senitals were putting on the same fire chau saw when he was entering to their place, where there were legs and skeleton of human bodies. He was shocked, that why are they preparing the fire now.

He went inside the tent and started thinking of what to do suddenly his eyes struck the paper where it was written “TSAEF YAD” when he again pressed the brain he came out with the right meaning “FEAST DAY”.

And then he started linking the incidents of setting him free and making him eat, so that he can become the good, fatty, desired food to satisfy all of their hunger.

When he realized the reality he decided to escape silently, and buried feet he went out, but it was too late now.

The senitals were just in front of him, they came to make him fry out for their lunch. He begged for his life and to let him go.

But they refused, they first tied him with a rope and then tied both his hands and legs with a wooden rod but it broke somehow. So they decided to tie him with a metal rod.

As they carried him on their shoulders to

the big fire hole, on the way the block dropped and stuck to the surface since the magnetic field of the forest was very strong (as explained in—) Unheard Part Two

Chau thought that Jesus gave him a chance to save his life, so he somehow stretched his body and tried to open the ropes, and he succeeded.

He escaped from there, the senitals followed him all over the jungle. He ran so fast and saw a cave and decided to hide there. He was so much happy that after all he’s alive.

But this happiness didn’t last when he saw the same wounds and rashes as he saw in senitals.

This disease was spreading in him too as he came in contact with them. He was totally unaware of what’s happening to him.

He took out notebook from his dictionary and started writing his last notes and letters—-

That how he came, he’s going through something he didn’t know, but he strongly feels that his death is near….

The most horrible part he mentioned was that he was Willing to die, because his condition was very critical the infection caught him.

After that what happened to Allen Chau is still a mystery……

What do you think???

Do the senitalese ate him or is he still alive escaping from them on the island somewhere???

Based on story of an American Tourist – John Allen Chau

By Palak Thakur

Participate and win prizes of more than Rs 10,000 – Contest

Unheard Part – 1

Horror Fiction, story

Horror Fiction by Palak Thakur

have you ever heard something unheard…

Sometimes they call us, sometimes they watch us, sometimes they talk to us, sometimes they…..

They exist??

Yess, they do exist like you and me, they too exist!!

Just imagine, we cross a number of roads, alleys, buildings, people, houses, lanes and more but have you ever heard something UNHEARD. You may have heard people saying their is something in here, in this place, a different kind of noise or sound comes when we cross….

How will it be stopped!! If they have faced something tragic, something very painful,

something beyond our imagination….

Something that has captured them, and they remained creating this dreadful noises. If you ever visit there, you will found a weird kind of vibe, like someone from a parallel universe is calling you, saying something to you, or just want you to be with them…ALWAYS and ALWAYS!!

The noises behind the door of every holy terror place!!

Just like one of them there’s a place called NORTHERN SENTINEL ISLAND which is one of the Andaman islands, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to the Sentinelese, an indigenous people in voluntary isolation who have rejected, often violently, any contact with the outside world. They are among the last tribal people to remain virtually untouched

by modern civilisation.

It is said that just one encounter with any of sentinelese, and GAME OVER!!

India has banned its citizens from visiting North Sentinel Island or attempting to make contact with the people who live there. Going within three miles of the island is illegal.

WHAT IS THE SECRET BEHIND THIS??

In search of this, an American John Allen Chau landed on this island with a motive to convert the uncivilized people as Christians. Breaking every rule he went inside the island in search of this people,

he took out his camera and started shooting as he was an adventurous blogger. He started shooting the beach, the ocean, and then went inside the forest and was thinking this is gonna be soo

exciting, but probably he was unaware of happenings that are going to be happen with him. And now it was time for dawn…..

So he prepared for a tent and thought of watching the video that he shot. So he started watching them and suddenly!!!

He saw something UNIDENTIFIED and WEIRD in the video like someone has put hands on his shoulder, he got shocked when he saw this and got frightened and…….