The present FIR was registered at the behest of Smt. Kavita Gupta who a resident of USA and had come to Delhi perhaps only for registration of this FIR.
I think this judgement can help few people who are fighting DV cases whilst both spouses stay abroad.
HC slams police, says registration of FIRs has become business
New Delhi, Aug 9 The Delhi High Court has slammed the city police for "lack of professionalism" saying registration of FIRs has been made a profitable business by some police officials. The remarks were made by the High Court which was hearing a plea by an NRI and his family members against whom an FIR was lodged by his wife after coming from the USA. "Why such (meritless) FIRs are registered is obvious. It seems registration of FIRs has been made a profitable business by some police officials. The police, in the present case, not only registered the FIR but also got lookout circulars for the petitioners issued. "Police is supposed to be professional in its working culture. The fall in standard of the police has gone to such an extent that in genuine cases it is difficult to get a case registered and even if registered, it won't act with sincerity but you can get any false FIR registered with it if you have right connections," Justice S N Dhingra said while quashing the FIR registered in August 2008. The court expressed surprise how the police registered FIR here when no cohabitation had ever taken place in the city between the couple, who had left for the USA immediately after the solemnisation of their marriage at Panchkula in Haryana. "It is surprising that such FIRs are registered by the police when neither complainant lives in Delhi nor the accused persons live in Delhi nor any part of alleged offence had taken place in Delhi. "The alleged offence admittedly had taken place in the USA. All the accused persons, as mentioned by the complainant, are living in USA. The complainant herself is living in the USA and the father of complainant perhaps is living in Delhi and pursuing this complaint," the court said while also quashing lookout circulars issued after lodging of the case. The court said all the developments, including the allegation of cruelties and the attitude of the husband towards her, were in the USA and the FIR should not have been registered here if the police had acted bonafide. "I consider that registration of this FIR is a sordid story of working culture of Delhi police. It is this police which refuses to register FIRs in cases of heinous offences which take place on the roads of Delhi and when the complainant dare comes to police station for registration of FIR ... while the FIRs are registered then nothing happens in India and no investigation can be done by the police in India," the court said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crl.MC 722/2009 Amit Sharma V State & Ors.
http://lobis.nic.in/dhc/SND/judgement/07-08-2010/SND06082010CRLMM7222009.pdf
* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
Date of Reserve: 28th July, 2010
Date of Order: August 06, 2010
+ Crl. M.C. 722 of 2009
% 06.08.2010
Amit Sharma ...Petitioner Through: Mr. R.S. Kela, Advocate
Versus State & Ors. ...Respondents Through: Mr. Sunil Sharma, APP for State Mr. R.K. Pandhi, Advocate for R-2
JUSTICE SHIV NARAYAN DHINGRA
1. Whether reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 2. To be referred to the reporter or not? Yes. 3. Whether judgment should be reported in Digest? Yes. JUDGMENT 1. The present petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C read with Article 227 of the Constitution of India has been preferred by the petitioner for quashing of FIR No.170 dated 15th August, 2008 registered at Police Station Kirti Nagar, West Delhi District, New Delhi.
2. The present FIR was registered at the behest of Smt. Kavita Gupta who a resident of USA and had come to Delhi perhaps only for registration of this FIR. A perusal of FIR reveals that Smt. Kavita Gupta was living in USA since 1993. She obtained Master Degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State, USA in 1995 and subsequently got employed in USA and started working there and living there. She came to India at Panchkula, Haryana for the purpose of marriage and was married to Shri Amit Sharma on 10th January 2000 at Panchkula. After this marriage, her version of events, as given in FIR reads as under:
“After marriage, I and my husband went to USA and all the documents and money for the visa and other arranged by me as per assurance and promise of the husband that when we will reach at USA, I already arranged a job at there through my friends and sister immediately I will joint there and payback to all the money spent by you for my visa and other expenses in presence of my father in law and mother in law. Accordingly, my husband and I arrived at USA in the month end of January, 2000 and I shocked after four months pass away when my husband at home without any job neither he tries for the same nor any tension in his mind, totally depends upon me as well as enjoy with my hard earning money congregate since 1993 and the present salary earned by me. In continuation, my husband wants to persuade a professional course for the same course I burdened the shelter, education and day to day expenses of my husband, texts books, fees, etc. Till 2003 I provided well professional education my husband and accordingly he got the join in the year, 2004 as per the hardship, sacrifice and financial and monetary help and encouragement of mine. I have, sponsored him H-4 spouse visa to USA. Thus facilitating immigration to USA and sponsored his Green Card application. As such I have not been able to enjoy my matrimonial life and married life normally and I totally sacrificed her obligations and enjoyments only for the career and goodwill of my husband. Further, I have provided a car to him for his personal use totally financed by me just to maintain the respondent’s social status in the University as well as his friends circle. The year wise events of sacrifice and financial help provided by me annexed as Annexure-B. My nightmare started after my husband got a full time job. As soon as he was settled into his job, his parents (father in law and mother in law) sponsored by his sister for green cards and they come to stay on a permanent basis at my place now in addition to supporting my husband, I was forced to pay for his parents expenditure as well. It is to be noted that I was not even informed about the development that they were planning to immigrate permanently and would be staying with the complainant. His sister Anita Trehan sponsored and signed the financial support documents agreeing to support his parents. However, she has not contributed singly penny towards their support nor offer to keep them at her home. This information has been reported to USA immigration authorities as well. His parents in compliance with his sister and my husband therefore forced their way into the house in Houston and started
to threatened me and harass me if I questioned them on this step. Further, I submit that they treated me like a slave and prisoner in my own house each time of which has been bought with my own hard earned money. I was subjected to mental abuse, and criticized the complainant constantly and made her lose of her self-esteem. It is to be noted that I was undergoing infertility (intrusive inventor fertilization procedure) chiefly because of my husband’s abuse the complainant (push her against the wall, twist her arms, catch her neck) and in summer 2006, he slapped her in front of his parents as well as admitted to doing other physical harms and also threatened to me to evict me from my life and made pieces of her dead body and the same can be disposed of in such a manner without be able to identifying at any point to time. It is further pertinent to mention here that on August 2nd 2006, my husband and his parents assaulted me and forced me out of my own house in Friendswood, Texas, where each and everything were brought by myself including two cars. They also took all my wedding and other jewellary into their possession i.e. my “Istri Dhan” items and they also took possession of all the cheque books of joint accounts and without the knowledge of the petitioner, they transferred/ withdrew considerable amounts from the account. They have further gone into such a grave extent by removing and destroying all the documents relating to the education and bills etc paid by me for my husband and even spent for the welfare of the parents of my husband. After completing their ill designs they had filed a divorce case against me in Harris County Court, USA on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and further claimed all the properties belonged to me which I got and bought out of my own hard earned money. Being harassed by my in- laws and my husband I with folded hands request / pray before your goodself to register a criminal case against my husband and my in-laws for the offence committed by them…….”
3. After lodging this FIR in Delhi, she again flew back to USA and is presently residing in USA. The case is being prosecuted by her father as her attorney. A perusal of this FIR would show that immediately after marriage, the parties moved to USA and thereafter all events as alleged by her are of USA. Even the allegations of her Istridhan being taken away by her father in law and mother in law is of USA and not of India. Allegations of cruelties and the attitude of her husband towards her are all of USA. It is not stated by her that she ever stayed with her in laws or husband from the time of marriage till filing of this complaint at Delhi. When the counsel for State was asked how this FIR was registered in Delhi, the response of the State counsel as given in the form of brief synopsis is that while in India, the complainant and accused cohabited at Delhi at Kirti Nagar, which is the matrimonial house of complainant and therefore there was jurisdiction of Delhi court. A perusal of FIR would show that nowhere the complainant had stated that cohabitation had ever taken place between the parties at Delhi or the parties ever lived at Delhi.
4. It is surprising that such FIRs are registered by the police when neither complainant lives in Delhi nor the accused persons live in Delhi nor any part of alleged offence had taken place in Delhi. The alleged offence admittedly had taken place in USA. All the accused persons, as mentioned by the complainant, are living in USA. The complainant herself is living in USA and the father of complainant perhaps is living in Delhi and pursuing this complaint. I consider that registration of this FIR is a sordid story of working culture of Delhi police. It is this police which refuses to register FIRs in case of robberies, thefts and other heinous offences which take place on the roads of Delhi and when the complainant dare comes to police station for registration of FIR, he is made to run from one police station to another on the issue of jurisdiction itself, while the FIRs are registered when nothing happened in India and no investigation can be done by the police in India. Why such FIRs are registered is obvious. It seems registration of FIRs has been made a profitable business by some police officials. The police, in the present case, not only registered the FIR but also got lookout circulars for the petitioners issued.
5. Police is supposed to be professional in its working culture. The fall in standard of police has gone to such an extent that in genuine cases it is difficult to get a case registered and even if registered, it wont act with sincerity but you can get any false FIR registered with it, if you have right connections. The Supreme Court has to say about registration of FIRs in India in Lalita Kumari v Govt. of U.P. & Ors Writ Petition (Crl.) No.68 of 2008 decided on 14th July, 2008 as under: “It is a matter of experience of one of us (B.N. Agrawal, J) while acting as Judge of Patna High Court, Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and Judge of this Court that in spite of law laid down by this Court, the concerned police authorities do not register FIRs unless some direction is given by the Chief Judicial Magistrate or the High Court or this Court. Further experience shows that even after orders are passed by the concerned courts for registration of the case, the police does not take the necessary steps and when matters are brought to the notice of the Inspecting Judges of the High Court during the course of inspection of Courts and Superintendents of Police are taken to task, then only FIRs are registered. In large number of cases investigations do not commence even after registration of FIRs and in case like the present one, steps are not taken for recovery of the kidnapped person of apprehending the accused person with reasonable desptach. At times it has been found that when harsh orders are passed by the Members of the Judiciary in a State, the police becomes hostile to them for instance in Bihar when a bail petition filed by a police personnel, who was accused was rejected by a member of Bihar Superior Judicial Service, he was assaulted in the Court room for which contempt proceedings was initiated by Patna High and the erring police officials were convicted and sentenced to suffer imprisonment. On the other hand, there are innumerable cases that where the complainant is a practical person, FIRs are registered immediately, copies thereof are made over to the complainant on the same day, investigation proceeds with supersonic jet speed, immediate steps are taken for apprehending the accused and recovery of the kidnapped persons and the properties which were subject matter of theft or dacoity. In the case before us allegations have been made that the Station House Officer of the concerned Police Statio n is pressurizing the complainant to withdraw the complaint, which, if true, is a very disturbing state of affairs. We do not know there may be innumerable such instance.”
6. In the result, I allow this petition and the FIR No.170 dated 15th August, 2008 registered at Police Station Kirti Nagar, West Delhi District, New Delhi and the proceedings emanating therefrom are hereby quashed. The lookout circulars of petitioners are also quashed.
7. The petition stands allowed.
August 06, 2010
SHIV NARAYAN DHINGRA J. rd
Mr.Rebates
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Whats Mine is Mine and Whats Yours is Mine
Here is an article that makes some sence!
This is a story about how husbands and wives should treat each other.
You remember that saying,”whats mine is mine and whats yours is mine?” A majority of relationships are based on this without anyone really noticing it . Have you ever found yourself in a heated conversation saying,”well it’s MY car,it’s MY house, it’s MY money. ect? I find myself saying these things to my husband in many heated arguments. I have been married three times this is my last if it is the last thing I do. So I am trying to find ways as to not have these heated arguments and slip and say it’s MINE. I know it’s hard and many of us feel that we worked hard for so therefore it should be MINE. However, it should be ours. I practice this word in my mind before I talk now. It is OUR money,OUR house,OUR car, ect. I find that there are not as many heated arguments even though I may have worked hard to get these things my husband did too. We are never alone in the household when there are two of you. Many may feel that they are alone however we all need to look at each other how hard we work to keep these things together therefore it should go,”what is mine is OURS and what is yours is OURS. However there is one instance were I would say it is MINE and MINE only. That is my private journal. Your journal should be respected and not touched by your partner unless you give permission however this is a whole other story.
This is a story about how husbands and wives should treat each other.
You remember that saying,”whats mine is mine and whats yours is mine?” A majority of relationships are based on this without anyone really noticing it . Have you ever found yourself in a heated conversation saying,”well it’s MY car,it’s MY house, it’s MY money. ect? I find myself saying these things to my husband in many heated arguments. I have been married three times this is my last if it is the last thing I do. So I am trying to find ways as to not have these heated arguments and slip and say it’s MINE. I know it’s hard and many of us feel that we worked hard for so therefore it should be MINE. However, it should be ours. I practice this word in my mind before I talk now. It is OUR money,OUR house,OUR car, ect. I find that there are not as many heated arguments even though I may have worked hard to get these things my husband did too. We are never alone in the household when there are two of you. Many may feel that they are alone however we all need to look at each other how hard we work to keep these things together therefore it should go,”what is mine is OURS and what is yours is OURS. However there is one instance were I would say it is MINE and MINE only. That is my private journal. Your journal should be respected and not touched by your partner unless you give permission however this is a whole other story.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Angry wife beats up cheating producer
Aug 7, 2010
Bollywood producer Nitin Manmohan, who has to his credit films like Dus, Army, Bol Radha Bol , to mention a few, was assaulted by his wife after she learnt of his alleged affair.
All was well between the couple, who are married for over 20 years, till rumours started flying around that Nitin was cheating on his wife Dolly Panchamia.
After Dolly sensed something fishy, in true filmy style, she hired a private detective to keep an eye on her husband.
When the detective confirmed that the rumours were true, Dolly was heartbroken, but decided not to take it lying down and confronted her hubby. But when Nitin denied having an affair, Dolly lost her temper.
She beat him up and dragged him down 11 floors from their apartment in Saibaba Towers on Juhu Versova Link Road.
But it did not end there. An enraged Dolly then picked up a brick and hurled it at Nitin's Mercedes.
The incident was all hushed up till a source close to the couple spilled the beans. "Dolly suspected that Nitin was having an affair for a long time. When matters went out of hand she decided to hire a private detective. When the producer flatly denied having an affair, Dolly lost her temper and beat him. All the neighbours are aware of the incident and since he was thrashed in public there are many witnesses," said the insider.
Following the fight, Nitin has moved out of the apartment and is staying in a rented apartment at Versova. Confirming this watchman of Saibaba Towers said, "Yeh sab toh filmy logon ke saath hota rehta hai.
Sahab abhi yahan nahi rehte." (These are people from the film industry and such incidents are not uncommon among them. Saab (Nitin) does not stay here any more.) However, he refused to divulge in details.
Nitin and Dolly have two kids a son Soham, who studied in Switzerland and daughter Prachi, after whom fashion store Prachins is named.
Bollywood producer Nitin Manmohan, who has to his credit films like Dus, Army, Bol Radha Bol , to mention a few, was assaulted by his wife after she learnt of his alleged affair.
All was well between the couple, who are married for over 20 years, till rumours started flying around that Nitin was cheating on his wife Dolly Panchamia.
After Dolly sensed something fishy, in true filmy style, she hired a private detective to keep an eye on her husband.
When the detective confirmed that the rumours were true, Dolly was heartbroken, but decided not to take it lying down and confronted her hubby. But when Nitin denied having an affair, Dolly lost her temper.
She beat him up and dragged him down 11 floors from their apartment in Saibaba Towers on Juhu Versova Link Road.
But it did not end there. An enraged Dolly then picked up a brick and hurled it at Nitin's Mercedes.
The incident was all hushed up till a source close to the couple spilled the beans. "Dolly suspected that Nitin was having an affair for a long time. When matters went out of hand she decided to hire a private detective. When the producer flatly denied having an affair, Dolly lost her temper and beat him. All the neighbours are aware of the incident and since he was thrashed in public there are many witnesses," said the insider.
Following the fight, Nitin has moved out of the apartment and is staying in a rented apartment at Versova. Confirming this watchman of Saibaba Towers said, "Yeh sab toh filmy logon ke saath hota rehta hai.
Sahab abhi yahan nahi rehte." (These are people from the film industry and such incidents are not uncommon among them. Saab (Nitin) does not stay here any more.) However, he refused to divulge in details.
Nitin and Dolly have two kids a son Soham, who studied in Switzerland and daughter Prachi, after whom fashion store Prachins is named.
SaferIndia
This is a site of an NGO started by Ms Kiran Bedi you can go to this site an log your complaint regarding any crime if the police at your place is not accepting your complaint. Then this NGO will mail your complaint to the DGP of your area. You can also use this mail as the legal document in case of filing a case in the court of judgment.
This is to be noted that this site is directly administered by Ms Kiran Bedi so all your mails directly goes to her.
http://www.saferindia.com/kiranbedi/
This is to be noted that this site is directly administered by Ms Kiran Bedi so all your mails directly goes to her.
http://www.saferindia.com/kiranbedi/
Fallacy of Feminism
Have you ever wondered what a feminist looks like? Apparently the Feminist Majority thinks you do. In an effort to put a pretty face on a worldview that has lead the charge in the abortion industry and yet has little interest in protecting their future leaders from ovarian exploitation, this video demonstrates more of empty words with a smattering of philosophical concepts left to be unpacked by those who lack proper tools to do so. Smart of them, you might say? I say, manipulative and conniving.
Cool. Funny. Smart. Beautiful. Strong. Kind. Confident. Active. Empowering.These are a few of the words used by the celebrity faces and regular people to communicate what feminism "looks like." With half the cast of Ugly Betty, Larry David, Amy Brenneman, Michael Moore, Rob Reiner, Kate Walsh, and many others, not to mention the non-celebrities who play a role in the video, its clear that they really don't want us to understand what a feminist thinks. If they did, they would have defined those other terms they buried used: humanist and individualistic.
The word humanist is a person who represents the worldview of humanism. This worldview "is centered around human value rather than upon God." This secular humanism rejects supernaturalism and "attempts to establish the dignity of man on a naturalistic base..." and becomes the highest reality. To sum that up, humanism starts with man and ends with man. It is also in this sense that it becomes individualistic. With no focus on anything higher than the self, even community is displaced within this framework so that the highest value is the autonomy of the individual. With this philosophical system, there is no motivation or basis to value someone more than the self.
Women’s Reservation Bill – Is it a mode of empowerment or just another reservation gimmick?
This women agrees the condition of Indian women has somewhat improved, thats amazing!
Seriously, real womens empowerment is for the elite in India, these are the women the pull the ropes, the few in the middle have some clout, but the majority at the bottom know very little if anything! When you give too much power to anyone they are bound to abuse it, regardless of whome it is.
March 13, 2010
In India the condition of women has surely improved to some extent over years. Women are now realizing their capabilities and voicing their opinion. They are heading big companies, representing the country on an International level and now they have a chance to even run the country with the recently passed Women’s Reservation Bill.
After going through 15 years of chaos and confusion the reservation bill has finally been passed by Rajya Sabha. If the bill gets cleared in Lok Sabha then India will have 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State assemblies. This would surely encourage more women to participate in the political affairs and take some valuable decisions at the higher level for the smooth operation of the country. The bill also recognizes the capability of women and spreads the message that women are equally capable in handling big responsibilities when compared to men.
But when it comes to solving the issue of gender discrimination I feel we are just looking at the tip of the iceberg. Gender inequality and discrimination of women still prevails in different parts of the country and I don’t see how this reservation bill can bring about a change in the condition of women in rural areas and remote villages. Rural women still continue to face abuse and humiliation. Female foeticide still prevails in the society. Education and respect still appears to be a far-fetched dream for women living in villages. These issues can be resolved only by changing the mindset of people who still consider women to be inferior. Would it be that easy to change the mindset of men who have grown up in the environment where women are not treated well? They have grown up watching their mother not being given basic rights. They have grown up watching their sister not being allowed to go to school. In fact they have got so habituated to all this that they no longer consider it to be wrong. How would the bill empower these women? How would the bill change the long held beliefs of these men? Having a woman at top doesn’t necessarily mean all these problems would be resolved.
Most of the women who are in the arena of politics come from political families. There are chances that this reservation might be misused. We would find the wife, daughter or sister of political leaders making their way into Parliament even if they do not deserve the position. With the 33% reservation are we not making it more obvious in a way that men and women are not equal? Shouldn’t the reservation be 50% if it was to curb gender inequality? Also by introducing this reservation system we are encouraging people to introduce more reservations like one based on caste. This would worsen the situation causing more discrimination and more inequality in our country. There could be both positive and negative consequences of this reservation bill
The bill has got a long journey ahead from Lok Sabha to the stage where it would be finally implemented. We cannot say what difference it would make till then. So the only thing we can do right now is wait and watch.
Seriously, real womens empowerment is for the elite in India, these are the women the pull the ropes, the few in the middle have some clout, but the majority at the bottom know very little if anything! When you give too much power to anyone they are bound to abuse it, regardless of whome it is.
March 13, 2010
In India the condition of women has surely improved to some extent over years. Women are now realizing their capabilities and voicing their opinion. They are heading big companies, representing the country on an International level and now they have a chance to even run the country with the recently passed Women’s Reservation Bill.
After going through 15 years of chaos and confusion the reservation bill has finally been passed by Rajya Sabha. If the bill gets cleared in Lok Sabha then India will have 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State assemblies. This would surely encourage more women to participate in the political affairs and take some valuable decisions at the higher level for the smooth operation of the country. The bill also recognizes the capability of women and spreads the message that women are equally capable in handling big responsibilities when compared to men.
But when it comes to solving the issue of gender discrimination I feel we are just looking at the tip of the iceberg. Gender inequality and discrimination of women still prevails in different parts of the country and I don’t see how this reservation bill can bring about a change in the condition of women in rural areas and remote villages. Rural women still continue to face abuse and humiliation. Female foeticide still prevails in the society. Education and respect still appears to be a far-fetched dream for women living in villages. These issues can be resolved only by changing the mindset of people who still consider women to be inferior. Would it be that easy to change the mindset of men who have grown up in the environment where women are not treated well? They have grown up watching their mother not being given basic rights. They have grown up watching their sister not being allowed to go to school. In fact they have got so habituated to all this that they no longer consider it to be wrong. How would the bill empower these women? How would the bill change the long held beliefs of these men? Having a woman at top doesn’t necessarily mean all these problems would be resolved.
Most of the women who are in the arena of politics come from political families. There are chances that this reservation might be misused. We would find the wife, daughter or sister of political leaders making their way into Parliament even if they do not deserve the position. With the 33% reservation are we not making it more obvious in a way that men and women are not equal? Shouldn’t the reservation be 50% if it was to curb gender inequality? Also by introducing this reservation system we are encouraging people to introduce more reservations like one based on caste. This would worsen the situation causing more discrimination and more inequality in our country. There could be both positive and negative consequences of this reservation bill
The bill has got a long journey ahead from Lok Sabha to the stage where it would be finally implemented. We cannot say what difference it would make till then. So the only thing we can do right now is wait and watch.
The Women’s Reservation Bill: Fallacy or Fulfilling?
India has one of the most empowered women, India's President Pratibha Patil, this women has no energy to even bend over and touch her toes yet she is our world representive. What does this show and tell about India's women empowerment? In my opinion, no much.
Looks like she was the only women they could quickly find to make her the first President. This doesnt say much for Indian vision does it? Poor decisions in the name of so called empowerment. Next time atleast find a women who can walk!
The Women’s Bill being hotly contested in the Lok Sabha is perceived by politicians as either a breakthrough in raising the status of women in India, or as a distraction to draw attention away to ‘more serious’ issues such as recession. Is it a beacon of hope or a pretentious show of India’s development?
The Bill provides 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Apart from this women can also contest for general seats. After much chaos in the Rajya Sabha and the unruly behaviour of MPs which have become a constant feature in Parliament, the Bill passed. Then it met opposition in the Lok Sabha and now the issue has been moved to the backburner in the wake of the Finance Bill.
The Bill may be heralded as a new page in the chapter of Indian politics, but only if the power given to women candidates is not abused. How would the Bill ensure a stream of meritorious candidates rather than mere figureheads following the whims of the party bosses behind them? Which impartial, incorruptible body would place quality candidates in Parliament? There are questions that remain unanswered and as a citizen of India, and a woman, I would like to know whether my vote for a woman would count towards making the Parliament stronger, or place a puppet in a seat which could have gone to someone better. Gender equality is important but meritorious candidates are more important- male or female.
Women need a voice, and the Bill is guaranteed to give them one, in the field of politics. I cannot help thinking though, what about the millions of women in India without a voice? Those who put up with abuse from their own family, at their workplace, who juggle a hundred things, but have no voice to complain?
The criticism the Bill faced from educated people against this reservation is so strong, that what will happen to future endeavours to empower women? Lalu Prasad Yadav, an educated and seasoned politician said that the society is patriarchal and a women will not vote against their husband’s wishes. If the opposition to the Bill shares this sexist view, politics in these parties will not be any easier for women even if the Bill is passed. To complicate matters, the communal card was thrown in. The opposition wants a quota within a quota for OBCs and Muslim women. Most issues in Indian history only got more tangled when this card was played, pitching communities against each other. Womankind should not be divided on these lines.
The Election Commission will allocate constituencies among women candidates to prevent them representing weak constituencies. In India, constituencies are strongholds of a particular candidate whose family has possibly represented it for generations. No candidate will be willing to give up this power in favour of a woman. Rivalry in politics is enough to contend with, without inter-party friction as well.
India has had her first woman Prime Minister and President. Yet, Pratibha Patil does not seem to be a dynamic leader and has poor visibility. We need strong characters in the Government and the Bill will hopefully ensure that those of best calibre make it to the top.
However, even once this Bill is passed, it will be difficult to say at which stage women will be empowered, because how do you measure empowerment anyway? Is taking into account the 181 seats that will be allotted to women in the Lok Sabha , a sign of empowerment? Or is mentioning that every sixth infant death in India is due to gender discrimination a sign of how far India has to go in this field?
The Bill will be a step in the right direction for women in India, but measures to raise the lot of those at grass-root level must not be ignored. We need care and education for the girl child for that is where the future of India-and this Bill – lies.
Looks like she was the only women they could quickly find to make her the first President. This doesnt say much for Indian vision does it? Poor decisions in the name of so called empowerment. Next time atleast find a women who can walk!
The Women’s Bill being hotly contested in the Lok Sabha is perceived by politicians as either a breakthrough in raising the status of women in India, or as a distraction to draw attention away to ‘more serious’ issues such as recession. Is it a beacon of hope or a pretentious show of India’s development?
The Bill provides 33% reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Apart from this women can also contest for general seats. After much chaos in the Rajya Sabha and the unruly behaviour of MPs which have become a constant feature in Parliament, the Bill passed. Then it met opposition in the Lok Sabha and now the issue has been moved to the backburner in the wake of the Finance Bill.
The Bill may be heralded as a new page in the chapter of Indian politics, but only if the power given to women candidates is not abused. How would the Bill ensure a stream of meritorious candidates rather than mere figureheads following the whims of the party bosses behind them? Which impartial, incorruptible body would place quality candidates in Parliament? There are questions that remain unanswered and as a citizen of India, and a woman, I would like to know whether my vote for a woman would count towards making the Parliament stronger, or place a puppet in a seat which could have gone to someone better. Gender equality is important but meritorious candidates are more important- male or female.
Women need a voice, and the Bill is guaranteed to give them one, in the field of politics. I cannot help thinking though, what about the millions of women in India without a voice? Those who put up with abuse from their own family, at their workplace, who juggle a hundred things, but have no voice to complain?
The criticism the Bill faced from educated people against this reservation is so strong, that what will happen to future endeavours to empower women? Lalu Prasad Yadav, an educated and seasoned politician said that the society is patriarchal and a women will not vote against their husband’s wishes. If the opposition to the Bill shares this sexist view, politics in these parties will not be any easier for women even if the Bill is passed. To complicate matters, the communal card was thrown in. The opposition wants a quota within a quota for OBCs and Muslim women. Most issues in Indian history only got more tangled when this card was played, pitching communities against each other. Womankind should not be divided on these lines.
The Election Commission will allocate constituencies among women candidates to prevent them representing weak constituencies. In India, constituencies are strongholds of a particular candidate whose family has possibly represented it for generations. No candidate will be willing to give up this power in favour of a woman. Rivalry in politics is enough to contend with, without inter-party friction as well.
India has had her first woman Prime Minister and President. Yet, Pratibha Patil does not seem to be a dynamic leader and has poor visibility. We need strong characters in the Government and the Bill will hopefully ensure that those of best calibre make it to the top.
However, even once this Bill is passed, it will be difficult to say at which stage women will be empowered, because how do you measure empowerment anyway? Is taking into account the 181 seats that will be allotted to women in the Lok Sabha , a sign of empowerment? Or is mentioning that every sixth infant death in India is due to gender discrimination a sign of how far India has to go in this field?
The Bill will be a step in the right direction for women in India, but measures to raise the lot of those at grass-root level must not be ignored. We need care and education for the girl child for that is where the future of India-and this Bill – lies.
Ousted HP CEO settles with accuser
Here is the contiuation article to the ousting of HP CEO for Sexual Harrassment. Seems all these cases are settled with Cash, wonder why? If someone has really been sexually molested wouldnt they want to see their victim behind bars, and not worry about the cash? Seems funny wouldnt you say?
Aug 7, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO – Ousted Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd has settled allegations of sexual harassment lodged against him by a female contract worker for HP, a person with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press.
The harassment accusation set off a chain of events that led to the discovery of allegedly falsified expense reports for dinners Hurd had with the woman and culminated in Hurd's forced resignation Friday from the world's largest technology company.
The person familiar with the case told the AP late Satuday that Hurd agreed to pay the woman but would not reveal the size of the payment. The deal was reached Thursday, a day before Hurd's resignation. The settlement was between Hurd and his accuser and did not involve a payment from HP, this person said.
This person was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.
The nature of the harassment complaint could not be learned. Hurd and a lawyer representing the woman, whose identity could not be learned, said the relationship was not sexual.
The woman was paid up to $5,000 per event to greet people and make introductions among executives attending HP events that she helped organize.
HP's board of directors said its investigation found that Hurd listed other people as his dinner partners on expense reports when he'd been out with the woman. HP also claimed Hurd arranged for her to be paid for work she didn't do.
There was only one instance in which that occurred, the person close to the case said, but it was for an event that was canceled at the last minute and the woman's contract required that she would be paid unless an event was canceled 30 days in advance.
The amount of money in question could not be learned.
Hurd, 53, insists they were legitimate business expenses. Hurd says the errors in the reports may have been entered unwittingly by an assistant, according to the person close to the case.
The company determined Hurd didn't violate its sexual harassment policy but broke its rules of conduct and irreparably harmed his credibility and integrity.
HP now must find a new leader to keep HP on the course he mapped out.
Hurd engineered a stunning turnaround of the Silicon Valley stalwart.
Under Hurd, HP has spent more than $20 billion on acquisitions to transform itself from a computer and printer maker dependent on ink sales for profits to a well-rounded seller of hardware and lucrative business services. HP's market value nearly doubled during his five years.
The company stands at a turning point to integrate some of those acquisitions, the most recent of which was the purchase of smart phone maker Palm Inc. for $1.4 billion in June.
HP's stock fell nearly 10 percent to $41.85 in after-hours trading, when the news was released after the close of markets Friday.
The company has a deep bench in management and the stock drop was reactive and doesn't reflect the company's prospects, an analyst said.
"I don't view his departure as catastrophic," said Dinesh Moorjani, an analyst with Gleacher & Co. "The strategy is working fine. The level of uncertainty for me is relatively low just given the circumstances. This wasn't a one-man company."
Hurd, who spent 25 years at ATM maker NCR Corp. before coming to HP in April 2005, became a Wall Street darling. The $13.9 billion acquisition of Electronic Data Systems made HP a major player in technology services, challenging archrival IBM Corp.
HP also now offers computer networking, helped by the $2.7 billion takeover of 3Com Corp., racheting up the rivalry with Cisco Systems Inc. The Palm acquisition catapulted the company into the fast-growing smart phone business.
The additions also broadened the pool of people who could replace Hurd. It's a deep bench, and internal candidates could have an edge, given that Hurd and predecessor Carly Fiorina — who got the boot in 2005 over concern about her management style and her decision to buy Compaq Computer — both came from outside HP.
Inside candidates could include Todd Bradley, who oversees personal computers and mobile devices at HP; Vyomesh Joshi, who leads the printer division; Ann Livermore, in charge of servers, services, software and storage; and Shane Robison, leader of HP's corporate strategy and marketing. Chief Financial Officer Cathie Lesjak, now interim CEO, took herself out of the running for the permanent job.
In recent weeks, Hurd was in talks for a three-year contract that could have been worth $100 million, the person close to the case said. Those went off track when the woman accused him and HP of sexual harassment, this person said.
The woman's lawyer, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, declined to describe the alleged harassment. Allred would not identify her client or make her available for an interview.
Hurd will get about $28 million in cash and stock in severance.
Hurd's ouster is the third in five years at HP's top echelon. First was Fiorina's in 2005, then former Chairwoman Patricia Dunn was ousted in 2006 amid a boardroom spying scandal that involved spying on reporters' and directors' phone records to suss out the source of leaks to the media.
"It says they're off track in some fundamental way," said Stephen Diamond, associate professor at Santa Clara University School of Law and an expert on business law.
"The first thing is, they have to find the right kind of CEO," he added. "And I think what that CEO needs to do is come in and say, 'How many board members were here during the last two scandals? If you were, please resign now."
Aug 7, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO – Ousted Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Mark Hurd has settled allegations of sexual harassment lodged against him by a female contract worker for HP, a person with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press.
The harassment accusation set off a chain of events that led to the discovery of allegedly falsified expense reports for dinners Hurd had with the woman and culminated in Hurd's forced resignation Friday from the world's largest technology company.
The person familiar with the case told the AP late Satuday that Hurd agreed to pay the woman but would not reveal the size of the payment. The deal was reached Thursday, a day before Hurd's resignation. The settlement was between Hurd and his accuser and did not involve a payment from HP, this person said.
This person was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.
The nature of the harassment complaint could not be learned. Hurd and a lawyer representing the woman, whose identity could not be learned, said the relationship was not sexual.
The woman was paid up to $5,000 per event to greet people and make introductions among executives attending HP events that she helped organize.
HP's board of directors said its investigation found that Hurd listed other people as his dinner partners on expense reports when he'd been out with the woman. HP also claimed Hurd arranged for her to be paid for work she didn't do.
There was only one instance in which that occurred, the person close to the case said, but it was for an event that was canceled at the last minute and the woman's contract required that she would be paid unless an event was canceled 30 days in advance.
The amount of money in question could not be learned.
Hurd, 53, insists they were legitimate business expenses. Hurd says the errors in the reports may have been entered unwittingly by an assistant, according to the person close to the case.
The company determined Hurd didn't violate its sexual harassment policy but broke its rules of conduct and irreparably harmed his credibility and integrity.
HP now must find a new leader to keep HP on the course he mapped out.
Hurd engineered a stunning turnaround of the Silicon Valley stalwart.
Under Hurd, HP has spent more than $20 billion on acquisitions to transform itself from a computer and printer maker dependent on ink sales for profits to a well-rounded seller of hardware and lucrative business services. HP's market value nearly doubled during his five years.
The company stands at a turning point to integrate some of those acquisitions, the most recent of which was the purchase of smart phone maker Palm Inc. for $1.4 billion in June.
HP's stock fell nearly 10 percent to $41.85 in after-hours trading, when the news was released after the close of markets Friday.
The company has a deep bench in management and the stock drop was reactive and doesn't reflect the company's prospects, an analyst said.
"I don't view his departure as catastrophic," said Dinesh Moorjani, an analyst with Gleacher & Co. "The strategy is working fine. The level of uncertainty for me is relatively low just given the circumstances. This wasn't a one-man company."
Hurd, who spent 25 years at ATM maker NCR Corp. before coming to HP in April 2005, became a Wall Street darling. The $13.9 billion acquisition of Electronic Data Systems made HP a major player in technology services, challenging archrival IBM Corp.
HP also now offers computer networking, helped by the $2.7 billion takeover of 3Com Corp., racheting up the rivalry with Cisco Systems Inc. The Palm acquisition catapulted the company into the fast-growing smart phone business.
The additions also broadened the pool of people who could replace Hurd. It's a deep bench, and internal candidates could have an edge, given that Hurd and predecessor Carly Fiorina — who got the boot in 2005 over concern about her management style and her decision to buy Compaq Computer — both came from outside HP.
Inside candidates could include Todd Bradley, who oversees personal computers and mobile devices at HP; Vyomesh Joshi, who leads the printer division; Ann Livermore, in charge of servers, services, software and storage; and Shane Robison, leader of HP's corporate strategy and marketing. Chief Financial Officer Cathie Lesjak, now interim CEO, took herself out of the running for the permanent job.
In recent weeks, Hurd was in talks for a three-year contract that could have been worth $100 million, the person close to the case said. Those went off track when the woman accused him and HP of sexual harassment, this person said.
The woman's lawyer, celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, declined to describe the alleged harassment. Allred would not identify her client or make her available for an interview.
Hurd will get about $28 million in cash and stock in severance.
Hurd's ouster is the third in five years at HP's top echelon. First was Fiorina's in 2005, then former Chairwoman Patricia Dunn was ousted in 2006 amid a boardroom spying scandal that involved spying on reporters' and directors' phone records to suss out the source of leaks to the media.
"It says they're off track in some fundamental way," said Stephen Diamond, associate professor at Santa Clara University School of Law and an expert on business law.
"The first thing is, they have to find the right kind of CEO," he added. "And I think what that CEO needs to do is come in and say, 'How many board members were here during the last two scandals? If you were, please resign now."
As Their Moment Arrives, India's Women Seize It (8 Part Series)
There are 8 parts to this series, I shall bring them to you.
Dec 10, 2007
The roles of women in India are rapidly changing, along with the nation overall. Our eight-part series takes a look at how women are seizing new opportunities, everything from writing their own stories to challenging religious courts.
Their country has just celebrated the 60th anniversary of its independence, but it is still struggling to realize the potential of what it means to be the world's largest democracy. This year, India saw the rise of the first woman, Pratibha Patil, to the presidency, 40 years after Indira Gandhi became the first female prime minister. India's economy is growing steadily and opening up new economic opportunities for women. Women are making gains in government, civil service, business and culture.
At the same time, many are struggling to hold the tiger by the ear. More than 200 million women in India are illiterate. A population chasm is opening up as gender-selective abortions have resulted in the "disappearance" of millions of baby girls. Maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world; 117,000 women each year die as a result of childbirth. Working women--largely agricultural laborers--earn one-third less than men. Thousands of women have been murdered in dowry disputes and domestic violence is common.
One cannot help but recall the words of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who said, "You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women."
The outlook, though, has changed significantly since Nehru's time. Today, millions of Indian girls are in school. Upon taking office, Patil promised to fight for women's rights and end female feticides. Each day, media reports tell of women challenging domestic abuse, sexual harassment and rape. They are making inroads into business and politics. Women are increasingly taking their own destinies into their hands and charting new routes for achievement.
In celebration of this pivotal moment in time, The Media is producing a series of stories to specifically look at how women's roles are changing in modern India.
Dec 10, 2007
The roles of women in India are rapidly changing, along with the nation overall. Our eight-part series takes a look at how women are seizing new opportunities, everything from writing their own stories to challenging religious courts.
Their country has just celebrated the 60th anniversary of its independence, but it is still struggling to realize the potential of what it means to be the world's largest democracy. This year, India saw the rise of the first woman, Pratibha Patil, to the presidency, 40 years after Indira Gandhi became the first female prime minister. India's economy is growing steadily and opening up new economic opportunities for women. Women are making gains in government, civil service, business and culture.
At the same time, many are struggling to hold the tiger by the ear. More than 200 million women in India are illiterate. A population chasm is opening up as gender-selective abortions have resulted in the "disappearance" of millions of baby girls. Maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world; 117,000 women each year die as a result of childbirth. Working women--largely agricultural laborers--earn one-third less than men. Thousands of women have been murdered in dowry disputes and domestic violence is common.
One cannot help but recall the words of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who said, "You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women."
The outlook, though, has changed significantly since Nehru's time. Today, millions of Indian girls are in school. Upon taking office, Patil promised to fight for women's rights and end female feticides. Each day, media reports tell of women challenging domestic abuse, sexual harassment and rape. They are making inroads into business and politics. Women are increasingly taking their own destinies into their hands and charting new routes for achievement.
In celebration of this pivotal moment in time, The Media is producing a series of stories to specifically look at how women's roles are changing in modern India.
Keeping Saudi women tagged by text
India is at one extreme and in Saudi Arabia its another extreme. India needs to find a middle ground or soon there will be a revolution. Interesting concept I should add!
August 4, 2010
Text alerts for men when their female charges leave Saudi alone is the new frontline in the country's technology war
Want to know whether your wife, sister or daughter has left the county? Well, in Saudi Arabia, there's an app for that. Reportedly, male guardians or mahrams in Saudi Arabia are now receiving text message notifications when their female charges leave the country unaccompanied. "iMahram", a friend of mine jokingly called it.
According to Wajeha al-Huwaider, a Saudi female activist, when she left the kingdom for a holiday with her family, her husband received a text message from the foreign ministry notifying him that she had departed.
"It is sad how Saudis use technology in a way not intended to be used for," she told The Media Line. "In Saudi Arabia, technology brings more restrictions and misery. They use it to have more control over people's lives, especially women."
Although Huwaider is summarily dismissed as an exhibitionist by some Saudi women (mainly for her regular attempts to leave the kingdom without her mahram's permission in order to highlight the limitations of the guardianship system), it is very likely that she was targeted due to her previous activities.
But it is nevertheless an indication that the authorities are becoming more inventive and resourceful with technology. Just as expatriates in the country are tethered to their native sponsors, women are tethered to their guardians, who, no matter how laissez-faire they may be, must still go through the bureaucratic rigmarole of granting permission for their female dependents to leave the country unaccompanied. Even then, the permission has to be renewed regularly. There is little scope for blanket licences from mahrams – ostensibly to ensure that they are not abused.
In my experience, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states in general, are extremely fond of their technology and particularly their mobile phones. The telecoms infrastructure has flourished only recently in the region and hence was sophisticated from inception.
Gender segregation has spawned a culture of excessive telecommunication. Bluetooth usage (to exchange details between men and women anonymously) on phones was commonplace in Saudi Arabia before mobile owners in the west had any use for the tool. In a country of early adopters and super-users, people usually have more than one mobile phone to separate friends, family and professional contacts. Before pay-as-you go arrived on the scene, my female friends sometimes had their chauffeurs procure more mobile phone numbers in their own names so that the bill would not be sent to their father's home address.
Moreover, there is a unique culture of campaigning and social mobilisation by text. During the Danish cartoons controversy, round-robin texts circulated informing people of which products to boycott. When the first feature film was to be shown in Riyadh, a text message war kicked off between two factions, those for and those against the screening.
In that respect communications technology has been a boon for such societies where there has traditionally been little room for democratic exchange of ideas, natural human interaction or gatherings that are not intermediated by authorities.
It is a double-edged sword, however, as it can be appropriated by government and, in this case, seems to be helping perpetuate the status quo by enabling the authorities to keep tabs on their citizens (and not just for security reasons), extending the long arm of the state even further. The impact of modernity and globalisation, the harbingers of change, doesn't always flow in the direction of freedom.
It is not clear exactly what the Saudi authorities are hoping to achieve or pre-empt with this new measure, since if a woman has gone past immigration at the airport that means that she has already been signed off by her guardian and all her paperwork was in order. In addition, if one is to imagine that the guardian may have since changed his mind or was co-opted or tricked into giving permission, the text message allegedly contains no information about the woman's destination – only that she has left.
The messaging is above and beyond the call of duty. Maybe it's a beta version of a more sophisticated tagging system that will render all women's movements traceable by the state and their guardians – who knows?
That said, a low-level technology war between users and the authorities over everything from satellite dishes to camera phones has been brewing for some time and the government has been consistently failing to stem the tide. The latest salvo, fired on Tuesday, was the announcement that BlackBerry services in the kingdom will be blocked from Friday.
But there is still huge potential for citizens to use the disruptive influence of modern communications to circumvent the power of the state. If there were an app for that, I wonder what it would be called.
August 4, 2010
Text alerts for men when their female charges leave Saudi alone is the new frontline in the country's technology war
Want to know whether your wife, sister or daughter has left the county? Well, in Saudi Arabia, there's an app for that. Reportedly, male guardians or mahrams in Saudi Arabia are now receiving text message notifications when their female charges leave the country unaccompanied. "iMahram", a friend of mine jokingly called it.
According to Wajeha al-Huwaider, a Saudi female activist, when she left the kingdom for a holiday with her family, her husband received a text message from the foreign ministry notifying him that she had departed.
"It is sad how Saudis use technology in a way not intended to be used for," she told The Media Line. "In Saudi Arabia, technology brings more restrictions and misery. They use it to have more control over people's lives, especially women."
Although Huwaider is summarily dismissed as an exhibitionist by some Saudi women (mainly for her regular attempts to leave the kingdom without her mahram's permission in order to highlight the limitations of the guardianship system), it is very likely that she was targeted due to her previous activities.
But it is nevertheless an indication that the authorities are becoming more inventive and resourceful with technology. Just as expatriates in the country are tethered to their native sponsors, women are tethered to their guardians, who, no matter how laissez-faire they may be, must still go through the bureaucratic rigmarole of granting permission for their female dependents to leave the country unaccompanied. Even then, the permission has to be renewed regularly. There is little scope for blanket licences from mahrams – ostensibly to ensure that they are not abused.
In my experience, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states in general, are extremely fond of their technology and particularly their mobile phones. The telecoms infrastructure has flourished only recently in the region and hence was sophisticated from inception.
Gender segregation has spawned a culture of excessive telecommunication. Bluetooth usage (to exchange details between men and women anonymously) on phones was commonplace in Saudi Arabia before mobile owners in the west had any use for the tool. In a country of early adopters and super-users, people usually have more than one mobile phone to separate friends, family and professional contacts. Before pay-as-you go arrived on the scene, my female friends sometimes had their chauffeurs procure more mobile phone numbers in their own names so that the bill would not be sent to their father's home address.
Moreover, there is a unique culture of campaigning and social mobilisation by text. During the Danish cartoons controversy, round-robin texts circulated informing people of which products to boycott. When the first feature film was to be shown in Riyadh, a text message war kicked off between two factions, those for and those against the screening.
In that respect communications technology has been a boon for such societies where there has traditionally been little room for democratic exchange of ideas, natural human interaction or gatherings that are not intermediated by authorities.
It is a double-edged sword, however, as it can be appropriated by government and, in this case, seems to be helping perpetuate the status quo by enabling the authorities to keep tabs on their citizens (and not just for security reasons), extending the long arm of the state even further. The impact of modernity and globalisation, the harbingers of change, doesn't always flow in the direction of freedom.
It is not clear exactly what the Saudi authorities are hoping to achieve or pre-empt with this new measure, since if a woman has gone past immigration at the airport that means that she has already been signed off by her guardian and all her paperwork was in order. In addition, if one is to imagine that the guardian may have since changed his mind or was co-opted or tricked into giving permission, the text message allegedly contains no information about the woman's destination – only that she has left.
The messaging is above and beyond the call of duty. Maybe it's a beta version of a more sophisticated tagging system that will render all women's movements traceable by the state and their guardians – who knows?
That said, a low-level technology war between users and the authorities over everything from satellite dishes to camera phones has been brewing for some time and the government has been consistently failing to stem the tide. The latest salvo, fired on Tuesday, was the announcement that BlackBerry services in the kingdom will be blocked from Friday.
But there is still huge potential for citizens to use the disruptive influence of modern communications to circumvent the power of the state. If there were an app for that, I wonder what it would be called.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)