The city of Panchkula, virtually the seat of Haryana Government, has witnessed wide scale violence resulting in death of more than thirty persons and destruction of large number of public and Government properties yesterday at the hands of supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim. The violence took place in the wake of his conviction in a case of rape by Special Court of CBI. The curfew has now been imposed and town handed over to Army for restoring normalcy. Many other towns in Haryana and Punjab have remained tense and had their share of violence. 

The violence in Panchkula was another monumental failure of State Police and administration. The question arises, whether this was avoidable and could have been prevented. The answer is an emphatic YES, more so when the State Police and administration had bitter experience of Satguru Rampal incident and Jat agitation, which also saw largescale violence, and destruction of public property. 

The abject failure of State Police and administration in handling the Jat agitation was followed by setting up a committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. Prakash Singh former DG, BSF to enquire into the acts of commission and omission by the civil and police officers. In a scathing report, the leadership of the police and senior officers of State administration were indicted, and leadership at senior level was adversely commented. Many important recommendations were made but unfortunately, as usual, neither any action was taken on the report nor any lessons were learnt by the State Government. On the other hand, certain individuals in the State Government questioned the report and it remained a mere file like many other in the government cupboards. 

The date of the judgement was known to the State Police in advance and it was also known that the Dera Chief enjoyed a large following in the Star of Haryana and neighbouring states of Punjab and Rajasthan. There was a definite intelligence input and media reports that the Dera was to mobilise a large number of its followers on the day of judgement. In spite of these, the State Police did not impose restrictions under Section 144 CrPC on time and when imposed a day before, these were enforced more in violation. Large number of persons, among them women, many armed with lathis, and children were allowed to trickle in, knowing full well that it would be extremely difficult to deal with an emotionally charged mob especially as it consisted of women and children. The police also remained mute witness to the convoy of more than hundred cars, which accompanied Dera Chief to Panchkula from Sirsa. Even the goading of High Court of Punjab & Haryana did not make any difference. 

Is only the government of the day responsible for this sad state of affairs? The rot is perhaps deeper than we realise. It has been the result of tendency on part of the successive governments cutting across party lines to post convenient and friendly officers at the helm of affairs in both Police and administration. The competent officers often cool their heels in so-called side postings. Unless the State Police and administration is revamped and officers of proven calibre and impeccable integrity made leaders and allowed to function without political interference, one is afraid that this may not be the last unfortunate incident, which we are witnessing. The warning is loud and clear. Unless the States act now, we will see repeat of such events in different parts of the country, agitations on different issues will continue to result in destruction of public property, loss of innocent lives, and deprive many of their daily livelihood.  The promise of the States to generate employment by attracting investment from outside will merely remain a pipe dream. No one will think of investing if peace, tranquillity, and safety of the assets is not assured. 

(The writer, a former IPS officer, retired as Director General of Bureau of Police Research & Development and has earlier served for long years in Andhra Pradesh, CBI & NIA. The views expressed are personal.)

USOF’s push for adopting latest mobile technology instead of the basic one in 10 Left Wing Extremism-affected states is not only delaying the phase-II of the mobile tower project and hiking its cost steeply, it is also putting security of forces deployed in these violence-hit states into jeopardy…

Ignoring serious security implications, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the DoT is pushing for technology upgradation in new mobile towers that are to be set up in 10 Naxal-affected states. USOF, which is funding the project, has also ignored the Cabinet approval which has okayed setting up of over 2,726 towers as this upgradation will hike the project cost by up to 75% and make it economically unviable, thus leading to sheer waste of public money.

In a recent letter to Jaideep Govind, Ministry of Home Affairs’ Additional Secretary (Left Wing Extremism), USOF Administrator Sanjay Singh has stated that “since provision of data connectivity has certain security implications, it is requested that MHA may kindly give their comments regarding the inclusion of specifications for data connectivity (2G/4G) for phase II of the project (in LWE affected areas).”

Such is the desperation on part of the USOF to push for latest technology without considering its security and financial issues that it further states in its letter: “Keeping in view the importance of the project and the urgency of its implementation, MHA’s response is requested, in the absence of this, it would be presumed that MHA agrees to the inclusion of data connectivity in the specification for phase II of the project”.

Explaining “security implications”, a senior MHA official said upgrading network for data usage will make security forces deployed in remote locations in Maoist areas vulnerable as ultras will be able to use applications like WhatsApp and Skype which is hard to intercept. “Calls and SMS are easy to intercept and this was the reason why 2G towers were installed in phase I. It has given excellent results as we have been able to contain and counter the Maoists. But giving Naxalites access to high speed data by deploying latest technology means they will misuse upgraded mobile network to target security forces and weaken our security preparedness. We have been facing this problem in Jammu and Kashmir as we have to disconnect data in times of anti-terrorist operations. We will face same situation in Naxal-affected areas,” the official said.

DoT officials have also objected to USOF’s move as this is not only delaying the project but also raising costs which the government might not be able to recover due to low usage of data in villages and remote areas. A senior DoT official involved in the project said: “Under phase-I, 2,199 mobile towers were installed with an expenditure of over Rs.3,500 crore in 10 LWE-affected states. The successful implementation of the project led to boost in security preparedness of forces deployed in rural and remote areas, a fact which has been appreciated by all state governments. It also led to bringing rural, tribal people into mainstream and quick implementation of government welfare schemes. Buoyed by the response, the PMO, the Home Ministry and concerned state governments started pushing for phase II. But USOF devised yet another way to delay the project in the name of evaluating the installed mobile network in phase I and completing ignoring success reports by union and state government agencies including security forces.”

“Due to this technology upgradation issue the fate of phase II is hanging in balance for almost 12 months even as LWE-affected state governments continue to write to PMO, MHA and DoT to immediately begin work on it. Upgrading technology will increase the cost of installing towers manifold. Moreover, when optic fibre cables are being laid in remote areas for better data connectivity, what purpose will upgrading towers serve except for making our forces vulnerable,” the official said.

According to Home Ministry, there are 106 districts across 10 States which have been identified by the government as the Naxal affected districts across states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.  The project was first approved by the Cabinet in June 2013 after a Maoist attack at Bastar, Chattisgarh in which 27 people, including senior Congress leaders, were killed. It was again sent for the Cabinet approval due to change in cost structure and was cleared in August 2014.

(Courtesy – ictflash)

Book: KHUSHWANT SINGH 

          IN WISDOM AND IN JEST

Publisher:  VITASTA

Price: Rs. 350

Pages: 266

Authors: Onkar Singh & Vijay Narain Shankar

The book “Khushwant Singh: In Wisdom And In Jest’’, co-authored by veteran journalists Onkar Singh and Vijay Narain Shankar, was recently launched at the Press Club of India. Usually a drab affair, this book release event grabbed attention of those present as eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, former Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson and economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia participated in a lively discussion reminiscing about Khushwant Singh, his beliefs and writings.

By all accounts, Khushwant Singh was an icon in his lifetime and arguably India’s most popular writer and eminent editor of prestigious publications like the Illustrated Weekly of India and Hindustan Times. Often considered a rebel, he lived by the courage of his convictions and authored internationally acclaimed books “Train to Pakistan’’ and “A History of the Sikhs.’’ He was labeled a “dirty old man’’ for his erotica. But he never seemed to mind such labels. Much loved for his writings, his style was lucid, easy and full of wit and humour. He was a creative and sensitive man.

The book brings to light aspects about Khushwant Singh’s life which were hitherto not much known.  At a time when self-styled godmen are holding the country to ransom, it was Khushwant who questioned such gurus about the depth of their knowledge. At one place, the book recalls that Khushwant never missed an opportunity to meet the spiritual and religious gurus. Those most of them deserve the harsh criticism and summary dismissal that he gave them in his book on Godmen, Khushwant found some of them worth meeting. One such was Kripalu Maharaj, who although being a self-styled Jagadguru, seemed to have impressed Khushwant. In his own words: “His scholarship is profound. His memory chapter and verse…He is in short my ideal of Jagadguru….I listened to him in spellbound attention.’’

Another guru export to the world from India Balyogeshwar was on Khushwant’s list. The godman had to relish Khushwant’s take on spirituality which questioned the need for a guru as everyone can have an equation with God. 

Khushwant was impressed by Mata Amritanandamayi from South India. “In all my life I have not met a warmer personality than her. Even an agnostic like me had great difficulty in holding back my tears,’’ he wrote. 

Khushwant had seen the worst of bloodshed and barbarism that men trapped in the fanaticism of their religious beliefs are capable of. He had spent his early years in the western part of Punjab which later became a part of Pakistan, and went through the trauma of the Partition. After witnessing everything that had happened around him during the Partition, he once said that he thought it was the end of his country. He had read the Upanishads and the Hindu religious texts, he had studied and translated the scriptures of his own Sikh religion, he had gone deep into the verses of the Koran, and had at various times familiarized himself with Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and other faiths.

And he was to say: “It is evident that all religious systems have failed us. They have generated more misunderstanding and hatred than love and friendship. He had a complex and a very personal relationship with religion. And though he denied the existence of God, one could also say that he had his own kind of relationship with his own kind of god.

Khushwant’s attachment to his roots was for real. He had made efforts to visit his native village Hadali near Jhelum in Pakistan three times after moving to Delhi. His village stayed with him all his life. His writings transcend time and it seemed that he had finally understood life, in all its beauty and its evanescence. There is no much else a man can do.

In one of his last interviews to a BBC team, Khushwant had spoken about death and that he had done whatever he could have wanted. He missed the century by one year. He had recited the poet Walter Savage Landor’s lines in a firm voice in the interview: “I strove with none, for none was worth my strife; Nature I love, and next to Nature, Art. I warmed my hands before the fire of life; It sinks, and I am ready to depart.’’ He loved his shayari, his scotch and his writings. The book is a lovable discovery of several such facets of Khushwant’s life. The authors have done a commendable job in bringing to light Khushwant’s views even on some of the tricky issues which seem so relevant today. An enchanting and gripping account put together using easy and at times anecdotal style.  

It was a nice flight recently on board Honeywell’s Boeing 757 Flight Tests Aircraft to see the company’s new high speed satellite connectivity innovation.

Everybody wants to be connected these days, through mobile phones and tablets for personal reasons like love for someone in the family or a friend, and indeed for work. And the first thought that came to my mind while flying on this plane for nearly an hour was the 1970s song by John Paul Young and Tom Jones ‘Love is in the Air.’

Young ones and elders, particularly those in their teens and twenties and thirties are often seen everywhere literally swiping their fingertips on keyboards all the time to connect with their loved ones. A passenger could sing, nearly real time – satellite connectivity does delay communication a bit – Love is in the Air or whatever to his or her family and friends.

I myself used onboard wi-fi, and was able to call my grandchild for a small chat during the flight into Rajasthan after taking off from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Connectivity onboard flights, which has been slow, or not available, has been an issue but from now on Honeywell and Inmarsat are resolving this with their hardware and software.

WhatsApp, Google, our office emails, all were easily accessible from my iPhone and Blackberry.

Neelu Khatri, a former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who is now President Aerospace for Honeywell India, pointed out that uninterrupted connectivity is required for flight operations, civil and military, and Honeywell is about innovations with presence on nearly everything that flies, from aircraft to spacecraft, with some piece of its equipment.

Aircraft connectivity is crucial for pilots and ground control, and in this age of mobile phone connectivity, equally important for passengers. Businesswise also, the potential in the coming years globally, would be around US$ five, six or seven billion.

Neelu, as the pleasant young lady is known among friends, patiently answered all questions, showed the bank of computer consoles and a dish onboard the aircraft to invited journalists and earlier, civil aviation and airline officials. “It’s about future, just as Honeywell is,” she said with a smile.

Sasi Kancharia, or Sunny as he is known, gave details of various systems on board, saying that the computers and antenna and receivers could easily be fitted onboard all aircraft.

Asked if the high speed connectivity, a step farther from what exists today, would help in preventing mishaps like that of the missing Malaysian MH 370 jetliner, he replied it certainly would help but only if the aircraft are connected with some communication satellite, particularly those operated by Inmarsat which provides connectivity to the ships over the vast oceans.

An expert on air traffic modernisation, Sunny said that in the coming years, the number of satellites would increase leading to better and wider connectivity all over.

The Honeywell-Inmarsat venture would actually help an airline save costs by informed decisions like selecting best routes and navigation, cutting on flight delays, and everything that efficient communication can do in personal and technological terms.

Singapore Airlines, which is generally the first to adopt any innovation, has already opted for Honeywell’s new system.

At least 30 people have been killed, including two women and a child, and more than 250 injured as violence erupted in Haryana and Punjab after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula today. 

The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on August 28.

The Dera Sacha Sauda described the court’s verdict as unjust, and said it would appeal against it.

Appealing its followers for peace, Dera spokesperson Dilawar Insaan reiterated that the Dera Sacha Sauda is dedicated to the betterment of humanity.

Army has been called out in Sirsa, where Dera headquarters is situated, to control the situation. Curfew has been clamped in the town and Internet services continue to remain suspended. 

Scores of jawans, including 15,000 paramilitary personnel, have been deployed in the sensitive areas across Punjab and Haryana.

Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse mobs who pelted stones and broke barricades in Panchkula. Mobs damaged vehicles on Zirakpur-Shimla road. Vehicles of media organisations were also attacked. 

The power supply in Panchkula and Sirsa has been cut to stop use of the Internet through broadband.

Haryana Chief Minister has said more columns of army have been requisitioned.

The Dera followers set on fire a grid in Matti and Datewas villages of Mansa. The mob also set on fire a wooden shop near Baluana railway station near Malout in Mansa district. 

Our correspondent reports that Curfew has been imposed in several districts.

In Punjab, curfew has been imposed in Patiala and Fazilka. In Fatehabad, Ambala, Jagadhari and Yamunanagar and Sangrur all petrol pumps and other establisments have been closed due to violence. 

A mob set on fire the Tehsil complex in Lahragaga and a power grid in Khandebad. A sewa kendra was also set on fire in Cheemamandi.

In Rajasthan, a vehicle was set on fire by a group of unidentified people in Sriganganagar, the birthplace of Dera chief. More from our correspondent:

In Delhi, there have been reports of arson in some parts of adjoining Uttar Pradesh. Coaches of a train at Anand Vihar Railway Station were torched by the miscreants. A DTC bus was also set on fire in Ghaziabad’s Loni. 

Three people were arrested in connection with arson. Delhi Police PRO, Madhur Verma said, there were no large gatherings of followers of the Dera chief in Delhi yet, adding that adequate security arrangements were in place to deal with any eventuality.

Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 in all district of Delhi except Central district and North district. In a tweet, Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik requested to people to maintain peace and cooperate police. 

In Uttar Pradesh, prohibitory orders have been imposed in bordering districts in view of violence in Haryana and Punjab. Restrictions have been imposed under section 144 in Muzaffarnagar, Shamali and Baghpat districts.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has reacted sharply to vandalism by Dera supporters. The court has ordered attachment of all properties belonging to Ram Rahim.

It has directed recovery of losses caused due to violence from Dera Sacha Sauda.

President Ram Nath Kovind has appealed to all citizens to maintain peace. The President has condemned the violence and damage to public property by supporters of Dera Sachcha Sauda.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the law and order situation in Haryana with the National Advisor Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.

In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, the law and order situation is being closely monitored. He urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required.

The Prime Minister strongly condemned the violence and urged everyone to maintain peace. He said, the instances of violence are deeply distressing. 

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed to everyone to maintain peace.

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has directed police commissioner to take effective measures to ensure protection of life and property.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also urged people to maintain peace.

Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for sacking of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal in the wake of mounting death toll in violence.

The Supreme Court’s majority verdict on triple talaq has far reaching import. The Constitution bench reminded the legislators it was their job to enact laws. 

The Supreme Court’s majority verdict banning triple talaq as unconstitutional is a long awaited progressive step in the emancipation of Muslim women along with ensuring gender equality. The decision has been widely welcomed even as this horrendous practice had already been outlawed in several Muslim countries. 

This paves the way for creating a uniform civil code in keeping with the three-point agenda of the RSS, the mentor of the BJP. The other two pertains to building a Ram Temple in the pilgrim centre of Ayodhya and abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution according special status to Jammu and Kashmir. 

The judgement focussed on triple talaq. It did not address issues like nikah halala or the unilateral privilege of men using two other ways of divorce — talaq-e-ahsan and talaq-e-hasan. The government should perhaps ask the Law Commission to undertake a detailed review of all personal and civil laws so that these did not violate fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens under the Constitution. 

This judgement brings to the fore the struggle along with the pain and torture meted out to women like Shayara Bano and others who approached the Supreme Court. Its significance cannot be undermined as it is the first time that Muslim women have challenged an Islamic practice being violative of their fundamental rights. 

That Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his government’s support and that of the people at large to ‘Muslim sisters’ from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort during his independence Day address earlier this month on August 15 in their struggle to fight injustice and obstructionist elements in Islam is significant. 

This has won the support of the Muslim women for the Lotus party irrespective of what their elders might advice them when it comes to exercising their franchise. It is an entirely different matter that the judgement suits the political establishment at the Centre. 

On the other hand the minority verdict felt instead of supporting the petitioners, the government should have been legislating against instant talaq. The court should not be asked to do the job of legislators. It is time the government stopped pushing courts on sensitive issues that the legislature must act on. 

The Constitution bench reminded Legislators that they have been elected to enact laws. It may be recalled that Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had stated in May that once the Supreme Court had passed its resolution the government would pass laws that would introspect Muslim divorce rules, specifically keeping in mind the violation of women’s rights. 

Banning of triple talaq has created a piquant situation for West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as well Samajwadi party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav who cannot seem to be supporting regressive action like instant triple talaq. 

This verdict with far reaching import comes 31 years after a government with a decisive majority in Parliament overturned a court intervention on Muslim personal law in the Shah Bano case. This had steeled the resolve among the women of the minority community compelling the Muslim Personal Law Board to take serious note necessitating course correction. 

Justice Rohinton Nariman, writing for himself and Justice U U Lalit, held that the 1937 Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act had codified all Muslim personal law, including the practice of triple talaq. This brought it within the bounds of the Constitution. He maintained that because talaq-e-biddat allowed unchecked power to the Muslim husbands to divorce their wives, without any scope for reconciliation, it was “arbitrary”, and failed the test of Article 14 of the Constitution. The practice was, therefore, unconstitutional, Justice Nariman added. 

Modi observed on twitter that the judgement finally granted equality to Muslim women and presented a path to pursue powerful measures for women empowerment.  

(The Views Are Personal.)

`Hijras, Thirunangigal, Kinnar, Kothis, Jogtas, Jogappas, Khusras and Shiv-Shakthis’ are commonly used words in India. These words are full of contempt and are used to address individuals with different sexual orientations. 
India has a wide range of transgender related identities. These include transsexual people; male and female cross-dressers (sometimes referred to as ‘transvestites,’ ‘drag queens’ or ‘drag kings’), inter-sexed individuals, and men and women, regardless of sexual orientation, whose appearance or characteristics are perceived to be gender atypical. 
Historically, transgender persons have existed as a culturally distinct community in the country. Despite this, they have faced discrimination, unemployment, lack of educational facilities, homelessness, lack of medical facilities like HIV care and hygiene, depression, hormone pill abuse, tobacco and alcohol abuse, penectomy, and problems related to marriage and adoption.  
It was in the Census 2011 that transgender persons were counted for the first time indicating their social acceptance. The Census count put their number at 4,90,000 of which 55,000 were in the 0-6 year-old-population, a result that came from parents identifying their children as transgender. The highest proportion of transgender population—about 28%– has been identified in Uttar Pradesh followed by 9% in Andhra Pradesh.
The census revealed that transgender Indians were more likely to be disadvantaged in education with just 46%, as compared to 74% in the general population, being literate. They were also more likely to be out of work with only 38% of the community, as compared to 46% in the general population, working. Only 65% of the total working population among transgender people, as compared to 75% in the general population, found work for more than six months in the year. 
“Imagine a world where you do not recognize your body, your family does not acknowledge your feelings and you have to pretend to be different from who you are to your friends, family and teachers. It is got to be the most isolating experience anyone can go through,’’ says Shama Karkal, Director, Swasti, a health resource centre that enhances health and well-being of marginalized communities particularly the lesbian, transgender, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex (LTGBTQI) communities who are shunned and looked-down upon by the society. 
Swasti is working and supporting men having sex with men (MSM) and transgender individuals and groups in Yavatmal (Maharashtra), Chikkaballapura (Karnataka), Thanjavur, Namakkal, Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Theni, and Thiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. It broadly works to ensure access for this community to community health services through sensitization and empowerment.
Importantly, Swasti informs the community about the steps to be taken by the government and individuals for their betterment. Swasti works across 22 countries, including India, to act as an enabler for marginalized community and help them become agents of change. 
The marginalized community is always excluded in India, especially when it comes to social protection and financial security. Despite efforts by the government, the volume of change is hardly seen. It is here that Swasti focuses on building an ecosystem of comprehensive well-being for these communities, strategically aligning innovation and technology in its outreach programmes.  
“If we are able to reach gender non conforming youth with life skills of grit resilience and mental/ emotional support; all of the structural violence and vulnerabilities is something that they can manage better even as we work with the eco-system to become more enabling, says Ms Karkal. 
Swasti has worked with specific community organizations helping them with livelihood and empowerment initiatives since 2014.  “We approach the community members on Poovagam ( a festival of LGBT) celebrated in Tamil Nadu every year and identify the groups with whom we can work. We use this opportunity to reach out to this community and then take things forward,’’ Ms Karkal says. Broadly, Swasti builds awareness within the community about their rights and help them access government entitlements rolled out for the citizens or the community specifically. Fund raising is another activity that Swasti is involved in, Ms Karkal explains. 
Unless we understand the needs of the community and individuals, we cannot help them, she explains adding that a group of individuals from the community has been trained as drivers and the organization is in talks with radio taxi companies to see if they can also be employed. 
“We are proud that the census could draw out part of the truth and establish that the transgender community exists and that their literacy rate is very low…It is now up to the government to bring in policy to ensure that they are not discriminated against and that they enjoy equal rights…”says Kalki Subramaniam, Transgender Rights Activist 
 Rejection from the family further marginalises them within the larger society. Many gender nonconforming children drop out of school due to harassment and discrimination. Lack of an education not only leaves them without jobs and life skills but also vulnerable to violence. 
Findings from a study conducted by Swasti suggests at least 12 % of TGs have reported sexual assault or facing violence due to the their gender. Data from Avahan India AIDS Initiative [Swasti Health Resource Centre]—based on a study done on 2169 transgender persons in India– revealed that respondents without education were more vulnerable to violence than those with an education . More number of 11 transgender persons without an education faced emotional (55% vs. 30%), physical (64% vs. 26%) and sexual violence (60% vs. 21%) than educated persons. 
Access to social entitlements is conditional on the availability of various documents that establish an individual’s identity including gender. The recognition of transgender people is a very recent development in the country. Even then, except for the provision of land for transgender persons in Tamil Nadu, social welfare schemes continue to be beyond the reach of TGs. Most TGs leave home and often does not have the proof of address or a family guarantor required to meet the legal requirements for registration for various schemes. The dominance of hetero-normative norms in the society and its institutions keeps transgender at the fringes of society. This results in daily experiences of violence and stigma and discrimination. They face physical and verbal abuse, forced sex, extortion of money and materials and arrests on false allegations from the police. Absence of recourse to legal protection makes them vulnerable to abuse from others. Within healthcare settings, they face humiliation, verbal harassment and even denial of services from doctors and the staff.
Lack of an identity proof is a further barrier in getting employed. Hence, even qualified TG individuals end up being self-employed or enter sex work with its attendant HIV and health related risks. The absence of reservation for them in education and employment erects further barriers to get jobs. 

NEW DELHI: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday declared right to privacy a fundamental right under the Constitution. 
A nine-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar ruled that right to privacy is an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty guaranteed under Article 21 and entire Part III of the Constitution.
In a historic verdict, the nine judges unanimously overruled the two earlier judgements of the apex court that right to privacy is not protected under the Constitution. Others members of the bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar,  S A Bobde, R K Agrawal, R F Nariman, A M Sapre, D Y Chandrachud, S K Kaul and S Abdul Nazeer also shared the same view.
Several petitioners had challenged the validity of the Aadhaar biometric identify cards scheme on the grounds that it violated the right to privacy. 
The court had also voiced concern over the possible misuse of personal information in the public domain. The question whether Aadhaar violates right to privacy will be dealt with by the five-judge bench which has been hearing the petitions since 2015.
The judges concluded: “The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution”.
Reacting to the judgement, former Finance Minister and Congress spokesperson P Chidambaram said: “The Congress party welcomes the unanimous judgement of the Supreme Court declaring that Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right. The judgement delivered today is a landmark verdict and will rank among the most important judgments delivered by the Supreme Court since the advent of the Constitution of India.’’
Describing Privacy as being at the core of Personal Liberty, Mr Chidambaram said, `’the most important fundamental right of a citizen is embodied in Article 21 of the Constitution. It is the Right to Life and Liberty.’’
Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict, the CPI(M) Polit Bueau said: “This landmark judgment should pave the way to protect, in this world of technology advance dominated by corporates, misuse of private data and infringing upon the privacy of individuals.’’
The party noted that a separate five-member bench will decide on the issue of mandatory Aaadhar that this (Modi) government is pushing through.

Had it not been a case of bounce cheque of 270 crores of the government’s exchequer, the Bhagalpur Srijan Scandal may never have come to light. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered to pay the compensation amount of 200 crores to the farmers in Bihar in return of land acquisitions. The beneficiaries went to Bank of Baroda and Indian Bank with the sanctioned amount but, as bizarre result, the government cheque bounced which surprised the bank officials and put the administration on alert mode.
Media reports claim that Srijan was indulged in the act of forge for more than 10 years. Manorama Devi orchestrated the fraud by transferring the funds of the government into the private account of cooperative bank of Srijan. More than 20 branches of the bank were opened in various villages and pachayats. 
After the case of cheque bounce, the investigation uncovered the unauthenticated transactions of 700 crores via a parallel banking system. The funds granted for Mukhyamantri Urban Development and other welfare schemes were used by Manorama Devi for personal benefits. The report also claims that many politicians and bureaucrats used Srijan to park their black money with the medium of money laundering. They were also granted personal loans.
The Bihar government had strictly directed to use State Bank of India for the government transactions, yet the two private banking banks were pooled in. Formers District Magistrates of Bhagalpur tried to check the suspicious movement of Srijan cooperative banks, but the influence of Manorama Devi always whittled down the probe. Former SDM Bhagalpur Vipin Kumar wrote to the Block Development Officers in Bhagalpur to not deposit the government exchequer into Srijan Cooperative Bank, but the system carried on.
More than 14 people have been arrested so far in the Bhagalpur Treasury siphoning. The Nitish government has ordered CBI inquiry into this matter. The alleged mastermind behind this scam is 65 years old Manorama Devi, who died on 13th February this year. She was known as ‘Srijan Didi’.
What is Srijan NGO?
Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti NGO is a self-help group for ‘Kaushal Vikas for women’ active in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar with a workforce of more than 6000 members, 60 staffs and office premises spread over more than 24,000 sq. ft in Bhagalpur. 
The NGO was shifted from Ranchi to Bihar in 2003-04. The then District Magistrate of Bhagalpur KP Ramaiah allocated government land on lease for a monthly rental of only 200 rupees. He also started several welfare schemes for the women in Bhagalpur. More than 1000 sewing machines were distributed under the scrutiny of Manorama Devi. This event marked the emergence of Manorama Devi and she was christened as ‘Srijan Didi’.
Srijan established its headquarter on the land and simultaneously initiated Srijan cooperative Bank in 2007-08. The bank became a gateway to siphon the public money with the help of bank officials and bureaucrats. Under the nose of the government, Srijan forged DM’s signature on cheques, transferring the amount to its cooperatives banks maneuvered by Manorama Devi. The siphoned money was then funneled to the market for various investment and private infrastructure projects.
In the name of Srijan, many bogus and ghost groups were formatted. Every group got their registered bank accounts.The scam also involved government employees. Mahesh Mandal an accused of the Srijan scam died in a Bhagalpur hospital on Saturday. 
The Quint reported that further investigation revealed that whenever a government cheque was deposited at one of the two banks involved in the scam, Indian Bank and Bank of Baroda, bank employee or a clerk would inform Manorama Devi. The NGO would then deposit the same amount into the government account so the cheque doesn’t bounce. Since the death of Manorama Devi in February, it became uneasy for her family to manage the scam smoothly. Now her daughter in Law Priya Kumar and her husband Amit are absconded, reports The Indian Express.
Srijan wore a mask of manufacturing spices, sattu, incense sticks, Bindis and Papad but the backdrop of the cottage industry was filled with money laundering and siphoning of public money. The RJD Chief Lalu Yadav and the fodder scam convict has alleged the Nitish government that the funds were transferred to private accounts between 2005 and 2013 when BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was Deputy CM and finance minister and Nitish the Chief Minister. 
Multiple photographs of Late Manorama Devi with senior BJP leaders like Giriraj Singh and Shahnawaz Hussain were also surfaced during the investigation. The opposition is seeking advantage out of this situation but it looks premature to allege the leaders involved in the scam until the investigation is not completed. But this is obvious that there are too many loose-ends in this multi crore scam. In the last 10 years, despite some of the whistleblowers raised this issue to the state government and the RBI, no actions were taken at that time. There is no denying fact that the wires of Srijan scam are connected to many big politicians, bureaucrats and government bank officials of Bihar.

The Government has sanctioned six Boeing Apache AH 64E attack helicopters for the Indian Army, marking a beginning for its Aviation Corps for these flying tanks.

The Army had actually projected a requirement of 39 attack helicopters, 13 for each of its three Strike Corps, but has been given approval in principle for 33 machines. It was also decided that 11 Apaches under the Options clause in the Indian Air Force (IAF) contract for 22 Apaches would go to the Army but only six of these are being taken.

Under the Options clause, valid till September 2017, India can buy 11 machines, or 50 per cent of those ordered, at the same price as those contracted for IAF in 2015. The option for the remaining five is now lapsed.

The six Apaches will cost Rs 4168 Crores (approx. $640 million) with weapons and spares.

Delivery for most defence equipment globally is 36 months after the first payment is made to seal the contract. The 22 Apaches ordered by IAF are already under construction at the Boeing facility in Mesa, Arizona.

MoD sources indicated that the Government is trying to clear various backlogs. Hence the best possible use is being made of available funds and for the time being, only six Apaches are being taken. All the three Services actually have long pending requirements, and funding has to be rationalized for the coming next years.

According to sources, the Army Aviation Corps’ projection is for 33 Boeing Apaches, 114 HAL Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and about 70 Rudras, the armed version of HAL Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

Reacting to the MoD’s announcement, Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar said: “Boeing welcomes the opportunity to support the Indian Army on their requirements. The AH-64E Apache is the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopter. With this development, we look forward to supporting all three Indian defence forces – the Air Force, Navy and now the Army.”

He pointed out, significantly, that “under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative, AH-64 Apache fuselages and other aero structures are (now) being manufactured at the Tata Boeing Aerospace joint venture facility in Hyderabad.”

Notably, the AH 64E model is the latest and also now being inducted by the US Army. Similarly, the Boeing P 8I, another formidable aircraft, to hunt submarines, has been inducted nearly at the same time by the US and Indian navies.

With its latest war technologies, the Boeing Apache is deadly for an enemy because of its multi-role, multi-mission day-and-night all weather strike capability. Because of its Lockheed Martin Longbow combat radar, the helicopter’s pilots can locate an enemy hidden deep in foliage and neutralize the target with precision attack Hellfire – also by Lockheed Martin – missiles.

For air-to-air defence, it is equipped with Raytheon’s famous Stinger missiles, which are also on offer to India for its indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) if India opts for them.

Then of course, there are rockets and machine guns, target acquisition and night vision systems, enabling its two pilots to literally make the mincemeat of a target.

Normally, one out of every three Apaches is equipped with the Longbow combat radar, but then, it is up to a user to enhance or reduce this requirement. The exact figure for these radars for Indian forces is not known.

Boeing has sold more than 2,200 Apaches since 1986 with mandatory approval from the US Government under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme for combat systems.

It may be noted that IAF operates its combat helicopters – at present Soviet vintage Mi 35s – in coordination with the Army, and there are always some Army officers posted in IAF units accordingly. In case of hostilities, all the IAF and Army assets work together, and so would the 22 + 6 Apaches.

The Apache is powered by two General Electric gas turbine engines and can be in the air for three hours. It has capability to search and attack multiple targets simultaneously. Secure frequency hopping terrestrial and satellite connectivity onboard is standard while its fuel tanks are self-sealing in case of a hit.

(Courtesy – India Strategic)