SIF (Save Indian Family) movement should speak through the Media debate

SIF (Save Indian Family) movement should speak   through the Media Debates

We are in an era of Media Trial. Media have been highlighting the Women’s point of view in a big way and Men are shouted down when they try to put their point of view in any TV debate. The Anchor in such cases is mostly a Lady, who poses to be a votary to the cause of women. Damini gang rape, no doubt, was a horrific and barbarous act and every one - men and women alike- voiced their feeling to demand Capital punishment for the culprits. Men supported women in every way. India is a democratic country. In a democracy the other person’s point of view is equally important. This is the reason the Court gave a patient hearing to the Lawyers of the accused and after granting full opportunity to both the sides to put their case without fear the Court pronounced Capital punishment to the all the accused. Thus justice was done to Damini. The juvenile accused however got 3 years in ‘Bal Sundhar Grih’ (Reform facility), which was the maximum punishment for a juvenile as per the law of the land, which everybody felt was a small punishment for such a dastardly act by the juvenile.

The Men’s voice was echoed by the son of the President of India’s Abhijit Mukherjee, M.P. who spoke to the Media echoing Men’s sentiments, which were harshly condemned by the Women’s Organisations and he was made to eat his own words. His unconditional apologies only could console the Women’s organisations. But by this time he had spoken what he wanted to speak. The message had been flashed through the Media to every corner of the country and the people, men and women alike were saying that he had spoken the truth, but nobody dared to speak against the Women’s Organisations in the Media. Certain things men cannot digest, for example Women’s Organisations want Legal and social acceptance of pre-marital rape. They also demand liberty to women to walk down the streets of the cities in late night as well, as is allowed to the males. They demanded that it is the duty of Sheila Dixit Government to provide security to the women walking in the streets of Delhi at the dead of night.  They tacitly advocate acceptance of western culture, but they forget that in Western Countries when the boys and girls attain majority, they are expected to lead their lives independently without any thing to do with the parents. But in India, even today, it is the solemn religious and moral duty of the parents to arrange and fully finance the marriage of their son and daughters and prior to that fully finance and arrange for their higher education even when they have become adult and also to try for their proper employment. In return children are not ready to accept the responsibility of looking after their old and ailing parents. They prefer being nearer to their in-laws, because wives’ want greater association with their parents. Thus instead of looking after the husband’s parents, they prefer to look after their parents. If Women Organisations want social acceptance of pre-marital sex, they should also ask the children to leave their parent’s home, after attaining the age of majority, so that the money which the parents spend in their marriage and higher studies becomes a good source of their livelihood in their old age.

Sometimes back I was watching a TV debate about Damini gang rape, in which a male Panelist said that in Delhi rape cases are increasing. The reason is mostly liquor. Hence something should be done to prohibit selling of liquor in the evening as the rape cases normally take place after intoxication. Two Women Panelists resented vociferously and made the Men Penalist to shut their mouths. The Women Anchor hastily ignored this all and switched over to other Panelists.  Awindra Pandey, friend of Damini who tried to save her from the culprits was also ignored by the Women’s Organisations. Is it that because he was a man?

In Damini case, the then Chief Justice of India Justice_Altamas Kabir said that if he had his say he would have gone to raise his voice in the agitation against Damini rape. Woman Organisations would have taken a note of it. It is therefore crystal clear that Men are equally worried about what is happening with the women in our society. Everybody including Women Organisations feel that it is the parents who can give moral education and ‘sanskar’ to their children. But they forget that today the children are not under the control of their parents. The boys demand a Mobile at the age 3 to 5 years and a Bike at the age of 10 years. Girls say that their parents are doing partiality with them and now they also demand a Mobile and Scooty at a tender age. The parents are helpless. In case their demand is not met, they would boycott food and threaten to commit suicide. So parents somehow arrange for the money and give them what they want. In some cases the children become a prey to the Bike accidents and leave their parents to weep and repent throughout their life.

Now Rajya Sabha has passed a Bill in which provision has been made to grant inheritance right in the parental property of the husbands. Now the girls will get property from three sources i.e. their father, husband and father-in-law. But they forget normally husband’s purchase property in the name of their wives. They also hand over their full salary or income to their wives and beg money from their wives, from time to time, for their personal needs.  Now they will be scared and would think hundred times before handing over their full salary to them or purchasing property in the name of their wives. Women Organisations feel that pre-marital sex, divorce, Maintenance allowance etc. should be allowed to the women as a matter of right for which Laws have already been framed. But they forget that boys are badly being harassed, simply because they are males. Hence the latest alternative which boys are brooding over is Live-in-relationship, which is already in vogue in metros. Marrying a girl means you are bringing a ‘live time-bomb’ which may explode any time, because now a Lady can lodge an FIR from her husband’s house through internet or mobile phones as well. They are not required even to go to a Police Station. Their simple information through internet etc. would authorise the Police to arrest the husband pending investigation. Women’s Organisations also want Marital Rape as an offence. This all is hitting at the very root of family system. They want a still more strict Section 498-A and Dowry Act. They lament in such cases the conviction rate is only 2%. The fact is most of the cases lodged against husbands are false. Naturally the conviction rate has to be 2% or so. They are not ready to accept the men’s view point. As a result of FIR by his wife a husband who had to go to Jail and consequently gets bail prefers to lead a lonely life, instead of accepting the lady to lead a marital life afresh. Not only that he prefers to go to Jail even if found guilty instead of bringing the lady back to his home.   Thus the family system gets shattered. The girl also repents because normally she finds no prospects of re-marriage in the present Indian society. But it is already too late. By this time her age also grows, hence the chances of re-marriage diminish further. The Women Organisations should think seriously as to how to save the Indian Families. They should call SIF activists and hear their point of view. We all agree that in rape cases, particularly in children rape cases and gang rape cases capital punishment is a must, but in all other cases we must think in terms of how the Indian Family System can be saved and in case Women’s Organisations do not agree to this, divorce should become easier, Section 498-A and Dowry Act like anti-men provisions should be out of the Statute or should be diluted. These organisations should not be allowed to cook the cake and eat it too. It is pertinent to mention that all Men are not rapists. It is the Men who look after the women and do all sort of sacrifices for them. The women, being kind hearted, respond to the Men in every way. The fact is there is no existence of men without women and there is no existence of women without men. Women Organisation should not make this matter ‘Men versus Women’. They should not shout down or overpower men while speaking in a debate as a Panelist. Women organisations should talk about all the rape cases which are brought to them by the people or Media. A Police Lady Constable was raped in Jharkhand in August last, while she was bringing the dead body of his relative from Ranchi to Latehar about which there was not a single word from the Women Organisations, why? The topic of the day is how to save Indian families? SIF (Save Indian Family) a man’s organisation is doing good work in this direction. The Government and the woman organisations should also take them into confidence.  The Government should also consider whether time is ripe when a ‘Purush Ayog’ should also be established to look after the grievances of men who suffer at the hands of woman? This will go a long way in saving Indian Families. D.N.Barola, President, Press Club, Ranikhet.  Mobile No.9412909980

Jan Sewa Samiti, Ranikhet Uttarakhand

JAN SEWA SAMITI – that helps in the last rites of Unclaimed dead bodies in Ranikhet.

By: D.N.Barola

Death is an eternal truth. Anybody who takes birth in this Mrityulok has to die. The fact is death means change. The flowers blossom and one day they fell down. It is nothing but Death or change of form. The dead body has to vanish away and gets merged in the Panch Tatwa. The famous mantra reads – Kshiti Jal Pawak, Gagan sameera; Panch tatwa yah bana sareera. The body is made of "the five great elements of nature". The whole universe is made up of these five basic elements namely: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. Our body is also made up of these five elements. These five elements are related to our five senses of smell, taste, hearing, touch and sight. Cremation is popular due to the Hindu concept of detachment of soul from the body at the time of death, and the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Hindus believe in reincarnation and view death as the soul moving from one body to the next on its path to reach Nirvana, heaven. Death is a sad occasion, but Hindu priests emphasize the route ahead for the departed soul and a funeral is as much a celebration as a remembrance service.
Hindus cremate their dead, believing that the burning of a dead body signifies the release of the spirit and that the flames represent Brahma, the creator.

49 Year old Satish Chandra Pandey, a lean and thin person, a graduate, who runs a small Fair Price Shop and a Furniture shop in Sadar Bazar, Ranikhet, Uttarakhand (Mob.9456164514) could understand the meaning of Death or Change of form. He had to embrace an extremely poor childhood. Her sister died due to improper treatment, as his parents could not afford proper treatment of his sister. This incident had great impact on him. When he grew up he started helping people in their difficult times. He could serve the patients in the hospital and would help in the last rites of heirless and unclaimed dead bodies. There was a person, popularly known as Fakkar Baba Bachi Ram, aged 72. He would take unclaimed dead bodies to the Mukti Dham, Ranikhet (Burning place) alone in a Gunny Bag and would perform the last rites. He helped in the last rites of the 14 dead bodies in the ominous Kafalta Kand. In 2006, the Fakkar Baba died and since then Satish took on him this social responsibility. He also took inspiration from a Sadhu, who used to give Kandha to the dead bodies and would say that if you give Kandha to a dead body, this gives you a Punya (virtue) of 7 Tirths (piligrimiage). Satish is present to offer his Kandha to almost every dead body and would go to the local Mukti Dham (Samshan Ghat) and prepares the pier for burning the dead body. He would be present in the ceremonies till the dead body is exhumed properly.

Satish felt that he alone cannot take this social responsibility as he roughly earns 15,000 rupees or less per month, which is not even sufficient to give a comfortable living to his family. He has to look after his family which consists of his wife, a son aged 17 years and a daughter aged 16 years. It was necessary to take the help of the people who may be willing to take this social responsibility. He therefore formed a Committee – Jan Sewa Samiti. He started enrolling volunteers with a monthly contribution of Rs. 25/-. The contribution was absolutely voluntary and there is no compulsion for people to contribute every month. He started getting economic cooperation from Tribhuwan Verma, Sunil Verma, J.C.Tripathi, Khim Singh, Anand Agarwal, Vivek Pande, Manohar Chaudhary, Harish Lal Sah, Deepak Pant Pradeep and Shanker Lal who hails from Almora. His main associates in this social responsibility are Ganesh Ram and Suneel.

Every month, the Samiti works vigilantly and the unclaimed bodies get respectable and proper last rites. The Committee serves 15 to 20 unclaimed bodies per year. The Committee prepares Bamboo Pier for the dead body and gives proper treatment to the bodies as per their religion. Hindu dead bodies are cremated in the Samsan Ghat, whereas Christian dead bodies go to the Cemetery. The dead body expenditure on the last rites comes to a minimum of Rs. 5000. This includes 5 Qntl. of wood for Rs.1300 which includes, cutting the woods, Samigri worth 1,200, transport 600, Cleaning 500, Bamboo worth 400 and Misc.1,000. The Samiti spends roughly 80,000 per annum to cremate the unclaimed dead bodies.

Satish gives Bamboo, free to all from his personal resources, irrespective of whether the same is required for any rich or poor. I enquired of him, why free Bamboos for the rich, who can very well afford it. He said that he gets great satisfaction by offering Bamboos to all. After all when there is a death in a family, the family is in deep trauma. Where from do you get the Bamboos, I enquired. He tells that Bamboos have to be brought from Silor Valley, which is some 18 Kms away from Ranikhet. Hence the same costs about 400 rupees per dead body. This includes the cost of cutting and preparing the Bier for taking the dead body to the Samshan Ghat. He thus spends roughly 3,000 per month from his personal income on this account.

The Samiti arranged and contributed its help, when Mohini Didi, expired on 5 Feb.,2009. This lady used to live in Khari Bazar, Ranikhet on the verandah of a shop. In fact very few persons in the hills live in verandahs or foot-paths. In view of great qualities, she used to get the affection of the residents of Khari Bazar, who used to look after her food, clothing and shelter. When she expired, people helped her in her cremation and the Samiti extended all out help in her cremation. She had left an amount of Rupees 30,673 in her belongings, which amount was donated to the Shiv Mandir Dharmshala to be spent in her memory.

In recognition of his devotion to the cause of cremation of unclaimed and heirless dead bodies, many institutions, mainly The Akhil Bharatiya Uttarakhand Mahasabha (Regd.) presented him with an APPRECIATION LETTER for his self-less contribution to this cause.

The Samiti also extends its hand in Blood donation. His associates in this noble cause mostly hail from the nearby Indira Basti. Sunil, Nand Kishore, Amit Kumar, Umesh, Pramod are always ready to help save a life, when so ever a call comes from the Hospital or the Samiti.

Samiti also helps people who come to Ranikhet and their Pocked is picked or have no money to go back to their home. The Samiti, after due enquiry, gives money to such persons.

I wanted to know about the most pathetic story, which touched his heart. He narrated the story of a Nepali from Chaukhutia Ganai. The Nepali had three children. He brought his wife to Ranikhet is a serious condition. The Samiti helped him, but his wife died in the night. The Nepali was badly weeping and was saying, after all, what will he say to his three children, when they would enquire about their mother? This incident touched his heart severally.

The Samiti gets no aid from any source including the Government. The Samiti has no cash or bank balance as on date. Let the people of Ranikhet help the Samiti to carry on this noble cause and enhance the scope of the Samiti to a larger level to benefit larger number of people. In fact the cremation of the unclaimed dead bodies is the responsibility of the Police, though we cannot get away with our social responsibility. In the absence of a proper Fund in the Police Station, the Police have to face avoidable problems. The Government should create an emergency fund to cater to this problem, so that the unclaimed souls get suitable and proper religious treatment after their death.

His wife Smt. Leela Pandey has been her inspiration. She is always ready to give a helping hand to him on this noble cause.

I feel various organizations and individuals should come to share this social responsibility and help the Samiti voluntarily in expanding its activities to the rural poor also, by liberally contributing their share to this noble cause, so that the unclaimed dead bodies get a proper cremation.(D.N.Barola)

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The body has to be prepared and is carried in a flower-draped bamboo bier to the cremation ghat.