There are certain criminal creatures whose crimes are so evil that other creatures who commit such crimes often get tagged with the name of the scoundrel who committed the first such villainy. Josef Fritzl is one such vile creature.

On the day Josef Fritzl was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his own daughter for years as he kept her confined to a dungeon in his house in Amstetten, Austria and fathered her children, another scumbag in India gets arrested for a similar crime.

Kishore Chavan (50), a Mumbai-based businessman is reported to have raped his daughter for several years because a tantrik (an occultist or a black magician), Hasmukh Rathod (55), allegedly “advised” him that “raping his daughter would bring prosperity”. Chavan, a father of two girls aged 21 and 15 who owns a unit that manufactures automobile numberplates, has been raping his first daughter since 2000 when she was twelve years old. He is also reported to have let the tantrik rape his daughter. Another sickening fact is that Chavan’s wife and the mother of the two girls, Anjana (46), allegedly allowed it to happen in her presence.

With even her mother being an accomplice to the crimes of the two vermin, the terrified first daughter silently bore these atrocities for several years. However, it proved to be too much for her when the two scum beings began raping her younger sister. She complained to her grandmother and uncle who informed the police. Chavan, his wife and Rathod were arrested by the Mumbai police.

Child abuse in various forms is believed to an under-reported issue in India and the sexual abuse of young children by lecherous relatives is reportedly hushed up to save the “family honour”. This case also exposes the outrageous superstitious beliefs that are still prevalent in 21st century India. However, the monstrosity of this criminal exceeds those of other previously known perverts of whom there is no shortage, thanks to misogynist beliefs and the system of “extended extensive inbreeding”, in other words, the system of marriage between individuals of the same caste/sub-caste, one of the milder evils of the filthy caste system.

Scumbags like Fritzl and Chavan are a disgrace to humanity and proof that fatherhood does not prevent these vicious vermin from raping their own daughters. They bring shame upon the sacred bond of fatherhood and are a curse to civilised human society.

September 5, 2008 marked the tenth death anniversary of Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She is better known as Mother Teresa. Almost everyone would have heard of her and the organisation that she founded, the Missionaries of Charity.

Mother Teresa . . .

Image: http://greenthumbnun.info

She dedicated her life for the cause of the poor, the sick, the orphaned, the neglected, the abandoned, the destitute and the dying. She gave hope to the hopeless, love to the abandoned, solace to the wretched and dignity to the dying.

Here is a tribute to Mother Teresa from my Prose and Poetry blog:

Humans may come and humans may go,
But she said, “No!”

Watch a short video clip from a film on Mother Teresa:

(If the video does not load, you can watch it here.)

Ever since the state government of Jammu & Kashmir collapsed after the Amarnath land transfer controversy, Kashmir has been on the boil. Read the latest news on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir here.

A paradise where peace has been lost . . .

Image: www.photoatlas.com

It all started with the state government’s decision to transfer 0.4 square kilometres of land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). After the People’s Democractic Party (PDP) decided to withdraw from the state government led by the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad (of the Congress) over the issue, the land transfer order was revoked. However, the revocation order could not save the government and Ghulam Nabi Azad had to step down.

Mass protests erupted in the Jammu region (which is mainly Hindu with a Muslim minority, mainly belonging to the Gujjar community) against the revocation order. One person committed suicide and three were killed in firing incidents by troopers. The protestors in the Jammu region tried to enforce a blockade of the Kashmir Valley (which is mostly Muslim; the third region in J&K is Ladakh, which is largely Buddhist) by blocking the road link to the Kashmir Valley.

This led to a shortage of medicines, food, fuel and other essential commodities in the Kashmir Valley. Though the government maintains that it tried to keep the highway open and provide security to trucks plying on the route, mobs had virtually succeeded in enforcing a blockade of the entire Kashmir Valley. Mobs also attacked truckers from the Kashmir Valley and beat several of them severely and killed one trucker. Though many Gujjar Muslims supported the demands of the Jammu region, mobs also attacked the homes and properties of Muslims in the region.

Apart from the shortage of essential commodities in the Kashmir Valley, the region’s fruit crop could not be transported to their markets and they began to perish. The Kashmir Fruit Growers Association gave a call to march to Muzaffarabad (on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control) to market their produce as the Valley remained cut off from the rest of the country. Separatist leaders joined the fray and exhorted people to join the march to Muzaffarabad. Huge numbers of people from throughout the Kashmir Valley began a march to cross the Line of Control (LoC) despite a ban. Certain notorious elements across the border in Pakistan have sought to inflame passions on this issue and cause more trouble as well.

Fifteen people were killed in firing incidents on the protestors. Sheik Abdul Aziz, a separatist leader and a moderate, was among those killed. Following his death, separatist leaders in Kashmir gave calls to organise protests. More than fifteen people were killed and hundreds injured when police and paramilitary forces opened fire on the protestors. Apart from a few fringe elements who attacked the police and threw stones at them, the protestors, including women and children, were unarmed and peaceful. Hundreds more were injured in brutal beatings by the police and paramilitary forces. Shamefully, even ambulances were not allowed to operate during the protests and some were attacked. Some media personnel were not spared either. Notorious, heinous and disgusting laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act that have no place in any society that calls itself civilised have been in force as they have always been in Kashmir and parts of the North-East.

Concerned that the peaceful protests were snowballing into an independence movement with calls for freedom and an end to Indian rule in Kashmir, the government decided to impose a curfew in all districts of Kashmir. Prohibitory orders have been in place for a week till now and eight more people were killed and many more beaten by the police and paramilitary forces. Newspapers have not been in circulation and the people of Kashmir are being subjected to extreme hardship because of the curfew.

The issue has been given a communal colour and it has brought out the divisions in Indian society. The sheer hatred that many people in different parts of India have for the Kashmir Valley and Kashmiris is evident on the internet on articles about this issue that allow comments. It is enough to disgust anyone who does not share the views of the hate-spewers.

Thankfully, not everyone in India has a sick, savage, regressive, backward and barbaric mindset that supports the repression of the people of the Kashmir Valley. There have been articles written by Indians like this one by Prem Shankar Jha that show that humanity and common sense are not dead in India.

There have been protests by truly patriotic people against the repression in the Kashmir Valley and in favour of finding a peaceful solution through dialogue:

Janahastakshep, PUCL and PUDR are holding a dharna on August 30 at jantar mantar from 11am to 1pm in protest against the crackdown on non violent people demanding ‘azadi’. IT is clear that only way in which Indian state restore its authority is by using coercive means. It is a form of collective punishment of the people that indefinite and unrelenting curfew has been imposed. Already reeling under economic blockade the imposition of curfew is making it worse with even hospitals not being allowed to function fully and attacks on ambulances and injured. Food is in short supply. Water and electricity disrupted. No one is allowed to move about even with curfew passes and there are restrictions placed on media. For 18 years it was told by Indian state and Indian opinion makers that if only the movement sheds weapons talks can be held. When that happened and largely non violent protests began instead of heeding the voice of the people and reaching out to them through talks the Indian state has decided to show its iron fist. Right to life and right to live in dignity stands suspended. Are we going to sit silently when such harsh measures are adopted? Do we want guns to make their reappearance as the Indian state is provoking the people to do? IF we believe that unity of people and their aspirations are our major concern should we not come out in solidarity and support for their cause which they were carrying out peacefully?Please spread the word to gather at jantar mantar on saturday August 30 at 11 am to protest the severe repression let loose on the people.
WE intend to demand lifting of curfew. Restoration of civil liberties. Allowing non violent assembly. Talks with people at the highest level so that 61 years of denial, repression, charade of dialogue, manipulation is discarded and substantive progress is made to democratically and peacefully resolve the intractable problem.

Though such voices of moderation, peace and wisdom are in a minority, the important thing is that atleast some Indians have begun realising that strong arm tactics and brute force are not the way to find a solution to this issue and the larger Kashmir problem. Kashmiris have been alienated completely from the rest of India. This is the time to change policy and find a solution to the issue by putting an end to the repression in Kashmir and finding a solution that is acceptable to all by means of dialogue with the people of Kashmir. People who truly love our country should not let our voices get drowned by those of the hate-spewing scoundrels who are the curse of India and of humanity as well.

Three Pakistani militants belonging to a pro-Taliban group were killed by their own bomb as they tried to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) in a girls’ school in Pakistan’s scenic Swat Valley, known as “the mini Switzerland of Pakistan”. Read this news article for more information.

Pakistan’s scenic Swat Valley . . .

Image: http://offroadpakistan.com

Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for Pakistan Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, has warned that there will be suicide bombings across the country if the government does not stop its operations against the militants in the Swat Valley, that was once a popular tourist destination.

Pakistani forces have been fighting pro-Taliban militants in the lawless Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan’s North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP) bordering Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has often accused Pakistan of not doing enough to root out militants who operate out of Pakistani territory.

In this case, the IED that the militants were trying to plant in the girls’ school exploded prematurely, killing all three of them. Shame on the mediæval cowards for trying to plant a bomb in a school!

The Bombay (Mumbai) High Court has declined a plea by a 25-weeks pregnant woman to allow her to abort her unborn child as the foetus was believed to have a congenital heart problem. Read the latest news articles about this in this link. Read about the abortion law in India in this link. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act forbids abortions after the 20th week unless there is a serious risk to the life of the mother.

The Bombay (Mumbai) High Court . . .

Image: Wikimedia Commons

What is sad about this case is that a court has to decide the fate of an unborn child, instead of its mother. What is worse is that the law has no provision to provide an exception in such scenarios, though this case and the medical, legal and ethical debate it has triggered may lead to the law being amended to provide for exceptions in the future.

About the case itself, the doctors of the couple say that the child would find it difficult to survive and even if it does, it will have to be fitted with a pacemaker that has to be replaced every four years. The mother does not want her child to suffer, even if the government takes care of the medical expenses of the child. The couple have even rejected an offer by an NGO to help raise the child. The court had appointed an “expert team” of doctors to look into the details of the case and based on the team’s report, has concluded that there are “least chances” that the foetus would be born with an abnormality.

Did the court take the correct decision in passing the verdict? Should the mother appeal the decision of the Bombay (Mumbai) High Court in the Supreme Court of India? Should India’s abortion law be amended? Have your say in this tough ethical, medical and legal debate by posting a comment below, even if you are not from India.

An important post update (August 7, 2008):

The “expert team” appointed by the court made an “error” that decided the court’s verdict. Read this news report. According to the team of doctors, “The committee is of the opinion that there are very fair chances that child will be born incapacitated and handicapped to survive.”

But according to the official report presented to the court, “The committee is of the opinion that there are very least chances that child will be born incapacitated and handicapped to survive.”

Very fair chances got replaced by very least chances in the official report of the “expert team” and the court’s decision was based on the “official report” of the “expert team”. Did I not say the law is an ass? We have proof now! I don’t know if the verdict would have been different if the “error” had not happened.

An update (August 31, 2008):

I’m sorry for this late update. This sad chapter is now closed as the unfortunate woman suffered a miscarriage. Read this news report if you want more information. The husband has blamed the media for unnecessarily hyping up the issue which led to hypertension (high blood pressure) that caused the miscarriage. I tend to agree with him.

Related post:

Abortion – women’s rights or human rights?

Swapnil Asnodkar (read his profile on Cricinfo), a young, talented and promising cricketer from Porvorim, Goa who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been appointed as the brand ambassador for the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) to spread the word against smoking!

Swapnil Asnodkar in action . . .

Image: The Hindu (Rajeev Bhatt)

It is great to learn that the 24-year old Swapnil has signed up for NOTE. This is in sharp contrast to a few top actors in one regional film industry (Bollywood) who take huge amounts of money from tobacco companies to promote the habit of smoking among the youth of the country and promote tobacco addiction among youth and children. Shame on people with such vile intentions!

It is heartening to know that there are youth like Swapnil who want to spread the word against smoking. Swapnil symbolises the new Indian youth – very talented, courageous, progressive and unafraid to lash out against anything that they feel is unjust. India is not short of people with backward, regressive mindsets who want to ruin the country by taking it back to the Stone Age. That is why folks like Swapnil come as a breath of fresh air!

Three cheers for Swapnil Asnodkar!!!