CAN WE REDUCE IMR AND MMR?

CAN WE REDUCE IMR AND MMR?

Two Days back, the newspapers in Odisha State (India) had reported that even though the IMR in the state has been reduced from 75 per 1000 in 2005 to 57 per 1000 in 2011. It is a matter of great concern. Similarly, the MMR in the state is higher than the national average .i.e. 258 per 1000 in Odisha compared to 212 per 1000 at the National Level.  Despite much effort both by the Government and NGOs, there has not been significant change.  The suggested figures are much higher in tribal areas of Odisha, The question comes whether the Nutrition Programme is really reaching the target group or not? Also whether the Anganwadi workers and Asha Karmis are playing the expected role or not? Whether access to health care and infra-structure, safe drinking water, information and basic food and livelihood is ensured or not has become a big question. All these indicate that the state of Odisha is far from reaching the Million Development Goals (MDGs).

It has always been suggested that to reduce the IMR and MMR to a satisfactory level and achieve the distinction of reaching a target below the National Figures, there is a need to identify HIGH RISK areas. There should be a Mission and try out the following:

1.      Intensive Mass Literacy Programme including Female Literacy

2.      Prepare more number of Barefoot Doctors and Volunteers

3.      Operationalise a Convergence Programme under a Collaborative framework under which the Government, the NGOs and Civil Societies, the Private Sector, the Panchayati Raj Institutions, the Doctors Associations, the Media etc. will build up a front to achieve the goals.

4.      Give rewards to those villages and Panchayats who have minimised the IMR and MMR.

5.      Express a Political Will by all Political Parties

6.      The International Agencies like UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank must act proactively rather than produce glossy Reports.

7.      Prepare Innovative Programmes with Community Participation.

8.      Publish Citizen’s Reports to highlight why things are working or not.

9.       Expand Health Infra-structure and change the scenario of 8 Doctors and 4 beds per 100,000 populations.

10.   Earmark special budget for the High Risk Areas.

Please send your feed back to me and take the debate further.

CRIME AGAINST CHILDREN UP BY 24%: SOME COMMENTS

Crimes against children up by 24%
Kounteya Sinha, TNN Oct 5, 2012, 04.00AM IST

NEW DELHI: India is fast earning itself the dubious distinction of being a country unsafe for its children with an alarming 24% increase in crimes against children in 2011 compared to the previous year. Nearly 33,100 cases were reported in 2011 against 26,694 cases during 2010.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for 16.6% of total crimes against children in 2011, followed by Madhya Pradesh (13.2%), Delhi (12.8%), Maharashtra (10.2%), Bihar (6.7%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.7%).

The link is ; http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-05/bhubaneswar/34278283_1_foeticide-cases-abduction-child-victims

We all should feel ashamed that such a thing is happening in our country indicating that our love for our children in on the decline. This not only happening in our country alone. This has become alarmingly global phenomenon. I was participating in a debate among on child rights in Germany years back. I was surprised to know that in Germany the crime against the children is quite high. Besides, the Germans are doing the same thing in other countries. The general underastanding is that those adults who were the victims of the crime in their childhood are the the main culprits. This must be true in India as well.

This is a rising spiral. Please note that the children who are victims of in their childhood will grow up to commit crime against their own children. When will this stop? And How? Is it part of our Million Development Goal(MDG)?

Thoughts on Gandhi's Birthday

I love  Gandhi and strongly  believe in Gandhian principles to the core. I have also read him extensively and on him as well. Two books which have made profound impact on me are Hind Swaraj and Gram Swaraj. I urge all my  my friends to read these two books to change one’s world view   I have tried to practice some of his experiments but I have to confess that my spirit is high but flesh is weak.

I am currently reading a book – KHADI: GANDHI’S MEGA SYMBOL OF SUBVERSION- written by Peter Gonsalves and published by Sage to pay tribute to Gandhi on his birthday. To fight the British and Colonialism, Gandhi adopted many strategies and one of the best one was to underscore Khadi – spinning and weaving – to be self-reliant. It was the best tools of subversion  which  was used by millions unarmed Indians.

In the book, the author has analysed various subversions in different chapters as follows:

• Subverting Self
• Eco-political Subversion
• Psyco-Cultural Subversion
• Socio-Religious Subversion-Untouchability
• Socio-Religious Subversion-Militancy
• The Philosophy of Gandhian Subversion through Khadi

The quote the author : Gandhi’s evolving awareness of semiological and political properties of clothing; his resolute use of Khadia as a metaphor of subversion in major dimensions of life , his adherence to the principles and values underlying a clear-cut strategy for socio-political change.

The way neo-colonialism is unleashed on us and the way we are forced to lose our sense of self-reliance, we are in search of a new method and a new tool of subversion. Please think it over and join the process os this search to save this great country and its people. Lets us have a resolution in honour of our great Gandhiji.

CAN WE AFFORD A SPLIT BETWEEN ANNA HAZARE AND ARVIND KEJRIWAL

The current split between Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal indicates many aspects of the Civil Societies in our country. When there is need for millions of Civil Society activists to think and act in unison, the unfortunate division will make an impact on badly needed process of socio-economic and political changes. I think this division could have been avoided by skillful dialogue and positive engagement.

I have been greatly inspired by Anna's work - Watershed Dev, School for drop -outs, Social Mobilisation in Ralegaon Siddhi etc. I have also interacted with Arvind and his spirit of fighting a cause - Right to Information, Governance, India Against Corruption etc. As I have understood them, they were co-travelers for a while and parted ways after covering a distance far from reaching the GOAL.

We activists have always a false sense of understanding that we can change the world by our kind of mediation, by our kind of methods. Lets look at the issue whether the activists can get involved in party politics. I am afraid we can not. Our role is to impart political literacy but not to fight an election. Our role is to take side with the struggling people but not to become their leaders. And the true definition of leadership is always clear. Our role is to create alternative political leadership so that people fight their own battles.

I have the sincere wish that all activists of different hue and colour come together for a real transformation of our society, economy and politics. This is what Albert Camus has passionately advocated while fighting the Nazis - EFFORT OF EACH ONE OF US AND UNION OF ALL.

ODISHA INDUSTRIAL SECURITY FORCE BILL 2012: A MATTER OF CONCERN

I am shocked to know that Odisha Legislative Assembly has passed (without a proper debate) the Odisha Industrial Security Force Bill 2012 to protect the interest of the Corporates. The Bill has the provision that anyone can be arrested without warrant or search anyone's house without a search warrant. The Bill is aiming at protecting the Corporates against any kind of labour ineterst or dissidence. This State Security force will be very much in the line of CISF ( Central Industrial Security Force ). The Minister while championing the cause of the Bill has said “Sustained resistance to displacement and relocation impinges on the security of industries and developmental projects. It is extremely difficult for the State police to provide security to the industries,”

I know the Corporates which are oftne under attack for their anti-poor and anti-labour policies have been asking the State Government to provide such security Forces. I know one Corporate was negotiating with the State Government to fund the raising of such forces by giving salaries, accommodation, vehicles and other equipments. It is a bsically to legalise a private army by using the State apparatus. This funding will just be a fraction of the profit they are going to make or already making.

The recent killing of the South African Miners in a Platium Mining by the State  Security Forces have created wide-spread condemnation and lets pray that such incidents are not repeated in our country but who knows?

I am reminded of the famous book  Animal Farm by George Orwell in which the pig Napoleaon raised a secret force of the dogs who were used to suppress and eliminate the dissidence.

One wonders whether such Bills will get the Presidential Assent but it issadto know that several states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Gujarat have already passed such a Bill. No wonder, one state is competing with another to guard the interests of the corporates,

Some of my friends have questioned the role of the Civil Societies who have not made much noise about this Bill. But perhaps, there is some way of expressing protest.

 

POLICY UTTERANCES AND REALITY CHECKS REGARDINGFARM PONDS and CHECK DAMS

If you notice,  the Government of Odisha has been presenting in the Public Domain various Policies on Development. In Odisha, we have such a poor Civil Society Network that there is no way to monitor how these policy decisions are translated into action and whether they have been beneficial or not. Of course, there is periodic analysis of the Budgets and Expenditures done very professionally by Pravash Mishra and Team in CYSD producing very authentic reports. Hope this exercise has some impact somewhere. Our common people do not have much understanding of the Budgets and Expenditures and hence there is very little response. In order that public mind is agitated over policy implications, there should be search for alternative ways of communication. Some people are happily  indulging in Social Audits being hired by the Govt. and  very ably doctoring this Post Mortem exercise. Very few are calling Spade a Spade.

I am always cross-checking about the Policy declarations on construction of  1lakh Farm Ponds and Thousands of Check dams. Has the Government come with an open and verifiable statement how many farm ponds have been constructed under NREGS out of the target of 1lakh and what is the reality check is not known to any one. Barring a few , I saw pits dug in the name  of Farm Ponds causing sheer waste of public money under NREGS. Wherever I am going ,  I am also examining the check-dams constructed and their feasibility.  Farms Ponds have very little Budget while Check dams have huge. In order to achieve targets, I am afraid, check-dams are becoming real jokes. So in both cases, there is fear that there are colossal waste of pubic money and defeat of the objectives of the such measures.

Our friends involve in RTI campaigns, must ask for the detailed report on Farm Ponds and Check Dams at the Block, District and the State Level and verify as many locations as possible. This will have two objectives - a) Make Public Aware of the Public Policies and b) Improve the methods of implementation of the Policies in specific contexts.

Can we expect more postings on this reality check? Can we influence the policies?

What are the reasons behind the spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-1?

What are the reasons behind the spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-1?

Recently, I got an opportunity to participate in Doordarshan Panel Discussion on the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas)/PESA. I had emphatically expressed two points as follows:

• The PESA was adopted in Odisha in 1997 and was diluted in many ways. If one compares Odisha’s PESA with the original PESA, one can see the glaring difference. Besides, there are many lapses across all the Schedule V Areas of the state. These lapses have definitely contributed to the s rise and spread of Left Wing Extremism.
• The Constitutional role of the Governor of the State for the Schedule V areas which says that the Governor make a report to the President of India regarding the administration of the Schedule Area. However, the Governors have failed to do this as a result there has not been the critical appraisal of the system of Governance. This has led to the Governance Deficit.

Now, being disturbed by the expanding  scale of LWE, there are many discussions at many levels in which the Government, the Academics, the Political Parties and the Civil Society Activists are engaged. I had the opportunity of participating in a few.

Working for more than 30 years in the Tribal Areas, I have experienced the development challenges, the hopes and aspirations of various tribal communities.  I have also visualised the world of possibilities. What is missing is the tribal self-rule as assured by the Constitution and the PESA. What is lacking is the interface between the tribal communities and the Constitutional Authorities. When the access to these Authorities is denied and when the tribals and poor do not get a chance to ventilate their grievances and when there is an assault on their lives and livelihood, what option is there for them?

On the other hand, the shrinking democratic space in the tribal areas with so much violence and counter-violence and the double speak of the state have contributed much to the expanding discontent among the tribals. For example, the tribals have certain cohesive ethnicity and all the government programmes are dicing these communities. Take the example of the formation of the SHGs and inroad of micro-finances. They divide the tribal communities. Take another example of the scale of Land Acquisition for Industrialisation and other mega projects and in comparison to that the land to the landless tribals is insignificant. Take another example on development planning process. Instead of involving the tribal communities, everything is top-down. These are the reasons why the tribals are losing their trust on the State and other well-wishers!