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By Amjad Ayub Mirza
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) 77th session.


On September 23 he will address the UNGA. Talking to Pakistan media in New York, Sharif said that his aim would be to make the world community aware of the devastation that monsoon rain has caused in his country, one-third of which remains submerged under floodwater.

The devastation caused by the recent floods in Pakistan is no doubt catastrophic. Nearly 40 million have become homeless, thousands of kilometres of roads and scores of bridges have swept away, millions of rupees' worth of livestock is dead, crops have gone and thousands are suffering from diseases such as dengue, dysentery, cholera, malaria and typhoid.

But the Pakistani Prime Minister mentioned to the press something that was totally out of context. He said that the 'Kashmir issue' will also be mentioned during his address to the UNGA.

This reminded me of a story in which a scorpion approaches a frog and asks it to carry him on its back across the river. The frog hesitates and tells the scorpion that he does not trust it since he might sting the frog.

The scorpion begs the frog to take him across and promises that he will cause no harm to the frog. As the frog carries the scorpion on its back, gets to the middle of the river, the scorpion stings the frog releasing his poison in under the skin of the frog.

The frog asks the scorpion why did it sting him despite promising that the scorpion would not sting him. To this the scorpion said apologetically, "I just couldn't help it, you see to sting is my nature."

Pakistan shares the same nature. No matter how many times one trusts Pakistan it always stings it benefactor. At the time of partition of Indian sub-continent in August 1947, Pakistan had signed a stand-still agreement with the Maharaja of the state of Jammu and Kashmir promising to accept the sovereignty of the state. Yet on October 22, 1947, Pakistan attacked the state of Jammu and Kashmir!

In 1999 when Nawaz Sharif was Pakistan's Prime Minister and was expressing his profound desire to trade with India, his Army Chief attacked our territory in Kargil.

Pakistan was created in the name of religion and communal division. Something that it nurtures even to this day. In order to remain relevant, the Pakistan military establishment has to keep the threat of an Indian attack and an imaginary suppression of Muslims in Kashmir and wider India alive.

Shehbaz Sharif's coalition government that has been allegedly propped up by the anti-Imran Khan section of the Pakistan military establishment led by its chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is only dedicatedly following the official foreign policy line designed for nearly seven decades by the Pakistan military establishment.

On September 29, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan is due to address a public rally in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of Pakistan-Occupied-Jammu Kashmir. He will very subtly be portraying India as a hurdle in achieving regional peace by using the Kashmir card and will use the Islamic communal hate card to garner support and prove himself to be a great Islamic warrior who could turn Pakistan into a great fort of Islam, thus laying the ground for future generation to carry the Ghazwa-e-Hind across the India sub-continent.

On September 23, the Pakistani Prime Minister will be asking for the Kashmir issue to be resolved and continently forgetting that it is Pakistan and not India which remains the root cause of the break-up of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and must withdraw its military from Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan.

To talk about Kashmir at a forum extended to Pakistan by the world community to make an appeal to help it with the cost of the damages caused by flood is akin to the story of the frog and the scorpion. To mention anti-Indian communal hate narrative in the backdrop of Kashmir is in Pakistan's nature.

(Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK)

--IANS
amjad/khz/

Kanwal Sibal
New Delhi, Sep 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand has to be seen in the context of the several geopolitical dimensions of this organisation which also have a bearing on India's strategic interests. These include stability in Central Asia, combating terrorism and religious extremism, China's role in the region, promoting multipolarity.



This summit took place when Russia is involved in the Ukraine conflict and China has committed aggression against India in Ladakh. In fact, its forces are still massed there, and it continues to expand its military infrastructure across the length of our border.

Relations between the US and both Russia and China have deteriorated sharply, while our relations with the US have greatly improved. The US and Europe are also unhappy with us on our unwillingness to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine.

At the summit, therefore, PM Modi had to engage in carefully balanced diplomacy that would preserve our equities with all sides. His remarks at the summit were therefore carefully crafted. He confined them to India's achievements in specific sectors, with an eye on the prospects this creates for beneficial cooperation primarily with the Central Asian states.

He noted that India will grow 7.5 per cent this year - the highest amongst the world's largest economies (more than China with President Xi listening). He mentioned the strides made by India in innovation with more than 70,000 Start-ups and more than 100 unicorns.

He offered to set up a new Special Working Group on Start-ups and Innovation in the SCO. In the area of food security, he emphasised the promotion and cultivation of millets and proposed a Millet Food Festival under the SCO. Capitalising on the setting up of a WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat (China lost out) he announced an Indian initiative to establish a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine.

Prime Minister Modi eschewed any reference to terrorism or security issues in general, which would have been normal, if made, given our concerns that we share with Central Asia. He steered clear of all that could be construed as having an anti-West connotation. He mentioned the Ukraine crisis (to avoid any criticism that he was ignoring the issue), but in the context of disruption of global supply chains resulting in the whole world facing an unprecedented energy and food crisis.

He bracketed it with the pandemic and stressed the need to develop reliable, resilient and diversified supply chains in our region (a dig at China), which would need better connectivity, and in stating that "we all give each other full right to transit), he implicitly drew attention to Pakistan's failure in this regard, with the Pakistan PM listening in.

There was some speculation, fueled by the agreement on disengagement on PP15 in Ladakh just before the SCO summit, that PM Modi and President Xi may meet on the margins of the SCO summit. This was however unlikely without adequate preparations in advance to ensure positive results from the meeting.

A meeting at this point with President Xi would not have been a normal meeting between heads of friendly countries to exchange views on bilateral and multilateral issues, review progress in ties and discuss possibilities of expanding them further.

With China, the issue of disengagement and de-escalation on the border would have been central to the agenda of the meeting, and unless there were signals that the Chinese side was willing to make a major move to de-escalate, a meeting at the top political level would have frozen the stalemate in ties for the foreseeable future.

The Modi-Putin meeting was, of course, expected. Its tenor would have been of interest to the West, keeping in mind its unhappiness about our unwillingness to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine and instead of subscribing to energy sanctions actually stepping up oil purchases from Russia. Interestingly, PM Modi, in his opening remarks at his meeting with President Vladimir Putin expressed concern about the problems of food security, fuel security and fertilisers for developing countries in particular as a result of the Ukraine crisis, which he intended to discuss in his meeting with the President.

He appealed to the Russian President to also contribute to finding some way out, putting thus some of the onus also on President Putin to resolve the crisis, consistent with India's call for diplomacy and dialogue to end it, but more pointedly than what we have said in public so far. (It is interesting that the Chinese side have some questions and concerns about Ukraine that Putin himself referred to in his opening remarks during his meeting with President Xi). Modi was also even handed in thanking both Putin and Ukraine for their help in evacuating our students from Ukraine. By saying that he believed that "today's era is not of war" and that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue are "such things that touch the world", Modi was batting for peace, as befits a responsible leader. He added that he awaited the chance to discuss further with President Putin how "we can move forward on the path of peace in the coming days".

The West will construe Modi's remarks as a publicly expressed implicit disapproval of Putin's decision to launch a military operation, which is manifestly wrong. But this gives our side a talking point against western charges that India is not criticising Russia. Modi, however, balanced these opening remarks on his concerns about Ukraine by lauding the strength of India-Russia ties, even calling them unbreakable.

Putin was cordial in his remarks, referring to Modi's birthday, the special and privileged partnership between the two countries (which Modi did not), the active cooperation of both sides on all international platforms. He candidly said that he knew Modi's "position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns that you constantly express", and that he wanted to end the conflict too, but put the blame on Ukraine's leadership to refuse negotiations and settle the issue on the battlefield, while promising to keep India informed of developments.

This public admission by President Putin about PM Modi having conveyed his concerns over Ukraine to him "constantly", puts the latter's opening remarks in perspective and that it was by no means a "rebuke".

The Russian leader appreciated Modi's video message to the participants of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, fondly remembered his visit to New Delhi in December last year and the fruitful negotiations with PM Modi and invited him to visit Russia.

He noted that Russian supplies of fertilisers to India had grown eight times, large-scale joint projects in the oil and gas sector and nuclear power industry were consistently being implemented, noting also that for Russians, India's rich history and ancient culture are traditionally of great interest. In this regard, he proposed to intensify the negotiation process on an agreement on visa-free tourist trips. The positive tenor of his remarks is notable.

After their closed-door meeting PM Modi in his tweet has described his meeting with Putin as "wonderful", with a discussion on furthering bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defence and other areas. Altogether it was a successful summit from India's point of view.

( is India's former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Russia. Views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative)

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

--indianarrative

Lucknow, Sep 19 (IANS) Rashes that do not itch, swollen eyes, burning sensation in lips and sore throat could be symptoms of severe adverse drug reaction (ADR).

Prof A.K. Sachan, head, pharmacology department, King George's Medical University (KGMU) said that 137 ADR cases had been reported at KGMU's different departments since February.

The highest 34 cases were reported from the skin department followed by radiotherapy (26) and pulmonary critical care (11).

In some cases, even cardiac issues and liver diseases were caused due to drug reactions.

"Drugs can cause serious implications, so patients should share all his clinical history, previous and current health issues. They should state allergy from any drug in the past," said Dr Sachan.

"Diabetes patients should not be given hypertensive drugs as they mask the symptoms that can be fatal. Often such cases get revealed when any patient faints due to low blood sugar," he added.

Coordinator, pharmacovigilance programme, KGMU, Prof Anuradha Nischal, said, "Patients must report any unintended reactions known or unknown, serious or non-serious, due to medicines as soon as they encounter them. There were various medications withdrawn from the market after notable side-effects were reported."

Citing the instance of a 65-year-old man who was brought to the trauma centre of King George's Medical University (KGMU) with progressive rashes that did not itch, the doctor said that the rashes started on his face and spread over other parts of body, affecting more than 30 per cent of total body surface area.

"He had swollen eyes and lips with a burning sensation. These symptoms lasted for two weeks with manifestations of fever, malaise and sore throat. Investigation revealed that he had been on medication for seizures for a month prior to developing rashes that had caused toxic epidermal necrolysis, which is a rare, life-threatening skin reaction," said Dr Swastika Superia, faculty at skin department, KGMU.

"Though the man was saved, cases of ADR are common because people ignore initial drug reactions due to lack of awareness," she added.

--IANS
amita/dpb

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) KP, a 18-year old boy, gets bitten in the remote village of Gumte in Arunachal Pradesh in the evening while returning home through the jungle.

He complains of severe pain on the bitten hand which starts swelling in no time. His mother rushes him to the nearby primary health centre, where there are no health staff available.

His mother takes him to a traditional healer nearby who incises the wound with a used blade in spite of the excruciating pain the boy is in and then applies a snake stone, which the healer believes sucks the venom out of the body.

The boy slowly starts becoming unresponsive showing signs of respiratory distress and is then hurried to the community health centre at Pakke Kessang at a distance of 30 km, but reaches there unresponsive and is declared dead on arrival.

Snakebite envenoming (SBE) was added to the list of Neglected Tropical Diseases in 2017 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which also estimates that there are 4.5-5.4 million snakebites worldwide resulting in 1.8-2.7 million envenoming, 81,000-138,000 deaths, and permanent disabilities in 400,000 annually.

International World Snakebite Awareness Day is observed on September 19 every year.

India has the dubious distinction of accounting for half the number of bites, approximately two million and 58,000 deaths annually. Over 70 per cent of SBE occurs in males, typically in the productive ages of between 20 and 60 years and therefore having a tremendous socio-economic impact especially in case of death of the sole earning member of the family.

Doctors say the reasons for the neglect are many, including general lack of awareness with regards to snakebite among healthcare workers, community, etc.; the available polyvalent anti-snake venom not having the neutralising effect against snake species of the northeast of India; victims in remote villages depending on traditional healers for treatment; and absence of a national protocol for treatment.

All these factors alongside the general apathy shown towards SBE by health policy makers, pharmaceutical industry, funding agencies and the health system in general, in spite of the considerable social ramifications is contributory.

The issues highlighted are more pronounced in the northeast as snake species here differ considerably from the rest of India and the effect of anti-snake venom against the common envenoming species like naja kaouthia (monocellate cobra) and pit viper species is doubtful.

In order to be able to prevent death and complications awareness need be created in the community about snakebite, how it could be prevented, the first-aid measures and the value of anti-snake venom as the only available treatment for envenoming.

The awareness campaign need percolate down into the community through schoolchildren, ASHA workers, etc.

Doctors need be trained on the immediate first-aid measures, signs and symptoms of envenoming, dosage of anti-snake venom and the pre-medications and complications.

In order to address this neglect and inequity, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) constituted a national task force for the study of incidence, morbidity, mortality and the socio-economic burden of snakebite in India.

The task force comprises Jaideep C. Menon, a cardiologist with the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, Omesh K. Bharti, State Epidemiological Officer with Himachal Pradesh government and Santanu K. Sharma, Scientist G with Regional Medical Research Centre at Dibrugarh.

They are currently conducting a field trip for situational analysis in the four northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.

--IANS
vg/shs

Toronto, Sep 18 (IANS) Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) do not see objects the way humans do -- using configural shape perception -- and that could be dangerous in real-world artificial intelligence (Al) applications, say researchers.

DCNNs are the type most commonly used to identify patterns in images and video.

"Our results explain why deep AI models fail under certain conditions and point to the need to consider tasks beyond object recognition in order to understand visual processing in the brain," said researcher James Elder from York University in Toronto.

"These deep models tend to take 'shortcuts' when solving complex recognition tasks. While these shortcuts may work in many cases, they can be dangerous in some of the real-world AI applications we are currently working on with our industry and government partners," Elder added.

For the study, published in the journal iScience, the team employed novel visual stimuli called "Frankensteins" to explore how the human brain and DCNNs process holistic, configural object properties.

"Frankensteins are simply objects that have been taken apart and put back together the wrong way around. As a result, they have all the right local features, but in the wrong places," Elder said.

The investigators found that while the human visual system is confused by Frankensteins, DCNNs are not -- revealing an insensitivity to configural object properties.

According to the researchers, modifications to training and architecture aimed at making networks more brain-like did not lead to configural processing, and none of the networks were able to predict trial-by-trial human object judgements accurately.

"We speculate that to match human configural sensitivity, networks must be trained to solve a broader range of object tasks beyond category recognition," Elder noted.

--IANS
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By Arun Lakshman
Chennai, Sep 17 (IANS) With Tamil Nadu recording the second highest number of suicides in the country after Maharashtra, a look at the reasons for the extreme step reveals that family and domestic issues are the single largest reason for people to commit suicide in the state.


Tamil Nadu topped the list of mass suicides in the country with 33 families taking their lives. The main reasons for mass suicide vary from domestic problems, illness, poverty and alcohol addiction of the family head.

Most of the people who committed suicide did it due to family problems, followed by illness. Drug abuse and alcohol addiction, marriage related issues, failure in love, bankruptcy or indebtedness, unemployment, failure in examination, career problems and poverty were the other main reasons for a person to commit suicide in Tamil Nadu.

Sradha, an NGO which is into counselling people contemplating suicide, in a study in Tamil Nadu said that the number of people taking their lives due to drug abuse and/or alcohol addiction is on the increase in the state. Around 4,300 people killed themselves due to this in 2021 alone.

Sudhir Krishnan, Coordinator, Sradha told IANS: "Our study on the reasons for suicide revealed that after domestic issues and illness, drug or alcohol addiction takes the maximum number of lives in Tamil Nadu."

"This has to be properly taken care of as there are possibilities of bringing these people back to leading a normal life. We have done the study so that we can intervene in this matter and with the state government support, many lives can be saved."

Except for hard core alcohol or drug addicts, the rest, according to Sudhir, can be brought back to the mainstream.

He added that while domestic issues can also be cleared in most cases, a person who is taking his life due to illness will be a difficult person to stop.

With the commencement of counselling for NEET students, the number of students who have taken their lives due to failure in NEET has come down. While 12 such cases were reported in 2021, in 2022 the number has come down to 1.

A counsellor with Sneha, a 24X7 helpline, told IANS, "There is progress in child behaviour as far as NEET is concerned and compared to 2021 this year it has come down tremendously. The department has contacted almost all the students who have taken NEET and proper counselling has helped the students and the results are there for all to see."

The Tamil Nadu government is also planning to increase the counselling helplines and has already had discussions with NGOs who are into suicide prevention and counselling.

--IANS
aal/bg

New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The coverage of protected areas, which was 4.90 per cent of the country's geographical area in 2014, has now increased to 5.03 per cent, with the number of such areas rising from 740 with an area of 1,61,081.62 square km in 2014 to present 981 with an area of 1,71,921 square km.

Forest and tree cover has increased by 16,000 square kms in the last four years. India is among few countries in the world where forest cover is consistently increasing.

There has also been an increase in the number of community reserves. From just 43 in 2014, their numbers are more than 100 in 2019.

India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 square km area in 18 states with approximately 75 per cent population of the wild tiger at global level. India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022. The tiger population in India has increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

The budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.

The population of Asiatic lions has shown a steady increase with a population of 674 individuals with an increase rate of 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rates so far) from the 523 lions in 2015.

India, in 2020, had 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7,910 conducted in 2014, or more than 60 per cent increase in population.

--IANS
kvm/vd

Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Popular Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh was born in the year 1984 when thousand of Sikhs were massacred following the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards. Terming it as a "genocide", the actor said that he grew up listening to stories of suffering.

The actor was born in the village of Dosanjh Kalan in Phillaur tehsil, Jalandhar district of Punjab, in January 1984.

His latest release 'Jogi' tells the tale of anti-Sikh riots that erupted in Delhi after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in Delhi in June 1984.

Talking about the incident with IANS from Canada, Diljit said: "'Genocide'... I was born in 1984, so I grew up listening to all these stories. I couldn't believe it. But when we grew up, saw and read (stories) then I got to know that this happened deeply. So, all those stories add up to the making up of the film."

The 38-year-old star, who while still in school began his singing career by performing Kirtan at local gurdwaras, shares his reasons why the story of 'Jogi' will be relatable to all.

"The story is real. It's not like we have made it up. It is not a fictional story. It is a real story. Like my birth is of the year 1984, so the people who have seen or heard, they can relate and the newer generation they will know what had happened."

'Jogi' also talks about the emotional tale of friendship between Diljit's character and of Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub and Hiten Tejwani.

What does friendship mean to Diljit in real life?

"The background is of 1984 and the story is based on that and the story is about three friends. I don't have many friends. I have not made many friends. And the friends I have I made in school they are still there. They are also still working with me," he said.

--IANS
dc/kvd

By Purnima Sah
Beed (Maharashtra), Sep 17 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Every time Anandgaon village witnesses a wedding, Pardhis turn both hopeful and distressed. Their mere presence anywhere near the venue is enough to make people throw a fit. But once the guests recede, the real acts of desperation begin.


"We wait until the wedding is over. Before stray dogs could claim their share, we pounce on the dustbins hoping to grab some leftovers," says Sunita Govind Kare, portraying the sense of deprivation that chokes the members of the nomadic tribe, considered the descendants of Maharana Pratap.

Sunita belongs to a 200-member-strong Pardhi settlement on the fringes of Anandgaon, around 60 km from Kaij town in Beed district of Maharashtra. It has been over three decades since they occupied the 25-acre-plot, but they still bear the tag of dacoits, thieves, hunters and ‘a disease' by the dominant Marathas.

"The villagers want us to leave. False allegations are made against us. But where will we go from here," asks Bhagwat Motiram Kare, a resident of the settlement.

Pardhis are hired neither for harvesting sugarcane, a major crop in the region, nor for menial tasks. They grow soybean for personal consumption and try to sell the surplus. "But nobody buys from us. So we have to resort to begging, even for water. Stone-pelting, hurling of fireballs at night, abuse and sexual harassment of our women and children make matters worse," Bhagwat bemoans.

All these are exactly the reasons why Pardhis in Dhakephal, located 180 km from Kaij, settled on a remote patch. Trudging through a winding dirt road crossing agricultural fields and barren stretches will take one to the government land they had 'encroached' upon (atikraman, as they say) some 25 years ago in a bid to make a home for themselves.

"Back then, this place was a forest. We decided to settle here, as hunting is our preoccupation. It also kept us aloof from other village communities. As years passed by, green cover declined and demarcations blurred. We were slowly exposed to the villagers, who wanted to drive us out. They torture us to no end, but we will not leave," shares Rajjubai Vilas Kare, who begs door-to-door for sustenance.

On days she is lucky, she gets leftover rotis, and sometimes curry. "When we do not get anything, we chew on leaves!"

Stamp of disapproval

As per the 2011 Census, Pardhi population in Beed district stands at 5,556, while it is 2,23,527 in the whole of Maharashtra. Other major tribes in the state are Koli Mahadev, Dongar Koli, Gond, Raj Gond, Arakh and Advichincher.

According to Bhavna Menon, programme manager, Last Wilderness Foundation, the organisation tries to better the lives of Pardhis through education, livelihood and measures to improve social status, the tribe worked for the ruling kings, and later the British, before taking to hunting. "In 1871, the British outlawed them under the Criminal Tribes Act, along with 150 other communities, and stamped them as hereditary criminals. Although this Act was repealed in 1952 to bring Pardhis under the classification of nomadic denotified tribes, the stigma still continues," explains Menon.

Even social workers like Kaushalya Chandrakant Thorat had to face brickbats for trying to reach out to them a decade ago. Neither the dominant Marathas approved of her action, nor did the Pardhis welcome her when she finally made it to her destination.

"I did not stop visiting, despite incessant stone-pelting. After four months, they finally allowed me to teach their children. Slowly, the families entrusted me with their troubles," recounts Thorat, a field coordinator for Navchetana Sarvangin Vikas Kendra, Kaij. She is now associated with Pardhi bastis of Anandgaon, Dhakephal and Sonijawala.

With the NGO's intervention, Thorat was able to help Pardhis dig their own borewell. "But it dries up every summer, and the sarpanch does not care. Also, there is no sign of the permanent houses we were promised two years ago," says Sushila Sanjay Kare.

The power supply is not getting anywhere either. During the local polls last year, they were promised electricity, but little did they know it would mean a "string of wire with a small bulb, generating an exorbitant bill of Rs 10,000," Sushila says the panchayat disconnected the supply when they refused to pay. In fact, the sarpanch had got them connections only after some among them received their ID cards with Thorat's assistance.

Thorat has so far helped 70 Pardhis obtain their voter IDs, and another 12 their ration cards. "It is an exhausting process. They do not have birth certificates and have no idea about their age. I had to accompany them to the government offices and panchayat regularly to sort out such issues," she sighs.

The IDs did make a difference. In the last two years, the sarpanch has been visiting the 'outcasts' with an eye on the vote bank. On the ground, however, changes are far and few. Kamal Arjun Pawar has to walk 6 km back and forth, thrice a week, to enquire about his ration. "We are told to step out of the queue and return after everybody leaves. When our turn comes, the kotedar often says our ration has not arrived."

While refusing to comment about social stigma, the sarpanch, who wished to remain anonymous, acknowledges the fact that government schemes remain inaccessible to Pardhis. "These people are nomads, not all are included in the census. In such a scenario, can we expect any government scheme exclusively for Pardhis? I am not aware of any such welfare scheme," she says.

A few dominant caste members endorsed the sarpanch's views. "We do not want to be anywhere near Pardhis. They hunt during the day and steal at night. How can our women and children be safe around them? They are also very dirty, and by inviting them near our village, we will only invite ailments," say people of Maratha community.

Victims of distrust

Twelve years ago, Rajjubai lived through the worst days of her life when her husband Vilas Motiram Kare lost a leg and his ability to speak in a road accident. Panicked, Rajjubai rushed to Kaij government hospital, where the medical staff made her wait in the compound.

"When he lost consciousness due to pain and bleeding, I screamed for help. Only then did a medical practitioner attend to him. The doctor just bandaged the bleeding leg, handed over some pills and instructed me to take him home."

Rajjubai had to drag a subconscious Vilas all the way home, as walking was the only mode of transport available for her. "We are not allowed to board a bus, train or even a rickshaw," says Anjana Chagan Kare, another Pardhi woman.

In short, social stigma keeps them away from even health institutions. They neither receive immunisations nor are visited by ASHA workers. Approximately two weeks before childbirth, Pardhi women are isolated in makeshift huts and barred from making social and physical contacts. They have to handle all the chores on their own, besides dealing with the pain and process of birthing.

"We cut the umbilical cord and remove placenta," says Shildey, who has had four successful deliveries and two stillbirths.

Once, when traditional remedies failed, Shildey walked seven km to the nearest primary health centre (PHC) carrying her child suffering from severe fever. She waited for hours outside the gate, only to be met with sheer disgust. The healthcare workers refused to touch the patient, calling both "a walking disease". "The doctor did not examine my child, but threw a medicine strip at me from a distance," she adds.

Thorat is least surprised by such reactions. "The PHC staff once told me they are worried about contracting diseases from Pardhis in case they visit the settlements for immunisation drives," she shares. Their worries mainly stem from the fact that Pardhis dwell in areas that stink of drainage waste, and their children mostly suffer from skin disease and breathing problems.

Thorat has made consistent efforts to educate Pardhi children, too. She bagged seats for five children, after persuading the zila parishad high school for six years. However, the children were not allowed to enter the premises; a further push gave them access into the school compound; eventually, they were allowed to enter classrooms, but with a condition to stay put in a corner till evening.

"Hey Pardhi, go beg! What are you doing in school, you thief!" Anjana shares how her children were frequently bullied.

(Mis)planning

As per a report from the Tribal Development Department of Maharashtra, development plans, housing facility, road access and subsidised vocational training among others, for Pardhis have been in place since 2011. It claims the community has benefited, but the reality is different.

"Under the three-year-old Pardhi Vikas Yojana, development plans are applicable to only those who own land. In areas with tribal concentration, we have provided roads, water, housing and electricity. Unfortunately, this scheme is not active at the moment and we do not know the reasons," says Shripad Mehetre, Assistant Project Officer, Aurangabad Tribal Development Department, while acknowledging the scheme's lapse.

Mehetre could not provide beneficiary data for the livelihood enhancement programmes for Pardhis. Another source from the same department says on condition of anonymity that "there is neither any budget consistency from the state government nor anyone available to conduct ground surveys on the tribe."

(The author is a freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

--IANS
purnima/ksk/

By Sukant Deepak
New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) He is now ten novels and three non-fiction books, five of his novels have been adapted into Hindi films, he was included in Time magazine's list of 'World's 100 Most Influential People' in 2010... But there was a time when his first book 'Five Point Someone' (2004) was rejected by multiple publishers. Rupa Publications finally accepted the book. The rest is, as they say, history.


"I had little hope from it. For me, it was just enough to get published," author Chetan Bhagat tells IANS.

Stressing that every new work holds a special fascination, he adds, "The ability to create worlds and characters that do not exist, but making them so real that it is hard to believe that they are fictional... Writing means starting with a blank piece of paper, so it is the ultimate creativity."

After the big screen, the author, who is now keen to get his works on OTT is currently focussing on his new Audible original podcast 'Deeptalk with Chetan Bhagat' where he interacts with accomplished Indians from different walks of life and gets them to share their learnings through life.

"Honestly, while the podcast is for listeners, I personally learn a lot from what the guests have to say. And yes, I have also become a much better listener, which is a huge bonus. I think audiobooks have a bright future. They involve less effort than reading, but still, you can absorb a book just as well. Not to mention the deep penetration of mobile phones, which makes audiobooks much."

A few years back, Bhagat shifted from romantic to mysteries, which he says was to reinvent his writing, and himself.

"For me, it is more creatively satisfying and fun when I do different things over time. And if I am having fun, my readers will too. 'The Girl in Room 105', 'One Arranged Murder' and '400 Days' are my three mystery books and they have excellent ratings on Amazon."

The author adds that he has several ideas in his head all the time, and the ones that stick for a long time are then developed further, to see if they can indeed be converted into an entire book.

--IANS
sukant/khz/