Ways To Help Women Stay Safe

October is my second favourite month (December comes first by the way! ) and it also happens to be the 'Violence Against Women Awareness Month'. So, this post is about a rabid and disgusting disease that is plaguing India - violence against women, and on how to ensure our safety!  India has been crowned the worst place to be a woman (among G20 nations) and I'm not surprised. Everyday, newspapers bring news of women being molested in different parts of the country. And true to our motto of 'unity in diversity', women all over India are united in suffering from eve teasing and violent forms of sexual abuse.

Kerala is supposed to be a state of educated and socially aware and responsible people but we are not better off in providing safety and security to the women folk. Infact, Kerala has surprised everyone by topping the list as the state with the most number of crimes being reported against women. We try to convince ourselves by saying that its because the crimes get reported here unlike in other states. But no one can turn their heads to the fact that in Kerala, women are getting raped in trains, homes and workplaces. A few days back there was a shocking story of a sick, bed ridden mother and her daughter who were raped in broad day light by two men who broke into their house.

There is also another form of violence that often goes unreported - eve teasing. The word 'eve teasing' itself  is very misgiving. It sounds like some kind of mild amusement, which its not! Any form of abusive action committed against women which falls short of rape, comes under 'eve teasing'. Almost every girl I know have at least once witnessed or experienced some form of eve teasing. That is how rampant it is.

Talking about our problems and worrying is not gonna make much difference, its time to act.We cannot always expect the men folk to come to our aid. Understanding our weakness and overcoming it is what we have to do. So, I've made a list of things that women can do to ensure their safety at home and while outside.

1.  Be Vigilant

I know that sounds a little scary, but better safe than sorry. Especially when you are traveling alone, be aware of the people around you. And whenever possible tell your family and friends where you are going and when you are expected to return. Keep police control room number and the number of a friend or relative on speed dial.

2. Dress Appropriately

Remember, what might seem normal in certain circles of the society might be provocative in more conservative sections. Don't invite trouble by dressing inappropriately.

3. Appear Confident
Criminals tend to target scared and lost looking women. So, don't look lost, be confident.

4. Carry Sharp Objects

It is very good if you know some form of martial arts but not everyone has the time to learn it. So, Plan B is to make use of the things you carry with you. Small sharp objects can be a very good weapon. Drop a sharp pin or pen into your purse when you step out of home. It might come handy when you need to distract the assailant and escape.

5. Water Bottles, Umbrellas , Torches and Sprays

We all know of pepper spray and how it can be the single most effective tool in the arsenal of women. In case you can't get hold of one, use deodorant, hair spray or air freshener instead. They are all very effective. Carry them whenever possible.
You can slip in a water bottle, umbrella or if you are traveling at night, carry a torch. All these can be used to strike down your opponent.

6. At Home

Always lock the door properly and don't open it for strangers. Know your neighbors and maintain a good relation with them. If a mechanic or plumber is due to arrive, request a neighbor to be present at the time.

7. Trust your Instincts
Always trust your instincts and common sense. If you think something is not right, flee immediately.


Every woman has her own methods to ensure safety. So if you have any such methods, do share it.
Lets take our safety into our own hands!!

Is Beauty an Excuse for Mutilation?

Last day during a casual talk with a friend, he mentioned his dog. He was telling me how smart and loyal his Rottwieler was and proceeded to show me a picture of the dog. My knowledge of dogs and their breeds is very limited but I found the picture of the dog a little weird. "Is there something wrong with his tail? It looks a bit weird", I enquired.
The answer he gave, shocked me.The dog had been docked when it was a puppy. Its tail was cut in order to make it look more appealing. When he had bought the puppy, its tail had already been docked and he even mentioned that he had never seen a Rottweiler with its full tail intact!

I was intrigued by the prospect of a tiny little puppy's tail being cut off.. Surely, there must be some other reason for docking other than the appearance factor??

I did a little research on Google and came to know that docking has been carried out for centuries. It was primarily done on hunting dogs to prevent tail injury.While running through thick vegetation and brambles, a dog's tail could easily get torn. A tail injury was extremly painful and difficult to treat, so they docked the end of their tails. Another reason was hygiene. Tails could get very dirty and cause infection inspite of regular grooming. Docking was also done to maintain the breed standards. But nowadays, docking is done mainly for cosmetic purposes.

There are two methods for docking a dog's tail. In the first method, an orthodontic band is placed over the end of puppies tail when they are very young. The blood supply to the tail is cut off and the end of its tail falls off within a few days. The second method is surgical removal of tails using scissors.

People who do docking claim that it is a painless procedure when it is done on a puppy. But researchers feel that docking can effect the balance and the ability of the dogs to communicate. A dog who can't wag its tail?? Isn't that horrible? Whatever excuse people give, it won't justify this inhuman act fueled by our aesthetic tastes.

Thankfully, Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI) has banned docking and has instructed veterinary surgeons not to carry out docking of tail, cropping of ears and other cosmetic procedures. It is treated as an offense as per Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and if found guilty, a person can be fined and sentenced to jail term of up to 2 years.

But as is often seen in our country, out of ignorance or out of disregard for the law, some people still carry out this procedure.
In case you find anyone still practicing this cruelty, inform AWBI and pet owners please do understand how cruel you are being to your pets. Say "NO" to docking and stop this mutilation.

Dedicated to my friend's Rottweiler, Rocky!!

Best Way to Commit Suicide, Eat Shawarma from Kerala!!

You read it right, the Arabian delicacy has become a killer in Kerala. Though the unhygienic methods of preparing food items in the hotels isn't a big secret, officials got the wake up call only after a young man died from food poisoning. The 21 year old victim, a hotel management student had consumed shawarma from a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on the way to Bangalore.Next day he fell ill and was later found dead. Two of his friends where hospitalised following severe food poisoning.

As customary, the incident caused a lot of stir in the media and among the people. The incident became the topic of discussions and debates. Everywhere in Kerala, startled people where seen discussing the matter in the, 'I knew this would happen one day' tone. My mom wasn't far behind. She gave me one hour lecture daily on my habbit of skipping meals at home and eating from outside. Anyway,  Food Safety Wing decided to take notice atlast and declared a one week ban on shawarma in Ernakulam District. A chain of frenzied raids began with Food Safety Officers marching into hotels all over Kerala.

The next shock wave came with the startling discovery made by the Food Safety Department. Many of the hotels were functioning under highly unhygienic conditions. In one of the hotels, there was a toilet right in the kitchen and the whole kitchen was stinking with the smell of latrine. Many of the kitchens where filthy and the food materials where stale. Coloured food grains, unwashed utensils, meat with worms in it, excessive use of tastemakers including aginomoto.. the list of things found out by the Officials is horrifyingly long. Many hotels where shut down and many more where given notice to improve their condition within 14 days. If you thought all this was happening only in the small and medium scale hotels, you are wrong. Stale food was found in many of the star hotels too. Ironically, the officer who conducted the raids in star hotels, was given transfer the very next day. So much for responsibility and honesty!

Several actions were taken by the Food Safety Department to curb this issue.The Food Safety Commissioner called in the hotel owners for a meeting (which turned out to be a shouting match) and reminded them that the deadline for restaurants to obtain licence under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2011 was nearing and that strict actions would be taken against those who fail to obtain licence by then..Authorities also warned people from eating street food and said that they will not allow Shawarma counters to sell food made in the open without any protective covering .

Things dint stop there. It was now turn of hoteliers to protest. The Hotel Owner's Association protested against the raids by shutting down all the hotels for one day.  The drama has ended for now.. Every one has gone back to their normal lives. The shawarma incident and the unhygienic condition of the hotels is slowly fading from the memory of people!Hope it doesn't fade away from the memory of the Officials. Routine checks by officials and enforcing the law strictly could have saved one life. At least from now on, I hope such incidents are prevented and that hotel owner's learn the seriousness of the issue and ensure that quality of food isn't compromised.

Love Jihad

'Love jihad' is the term coined for Muslim boys 'trapping' girls of other religions in their love and forcing them to convert to Islam. It got into the news in Kerala when some Hindu organizations started complaining after two girls escaped from 'Love Jihad'. Now even the Christian organizations are coming up with the complaint.

I think the whole thing is a blow up by some anxious and conservative parents. One or two random incidents shouldn't be mistaken and enlarged to such proportions that they generate hatred towards the entire Muslim community. Posters claiming to be from 'Shiv Sena' have surfaced in many parts of Kerala warning Hindu girls against 'Love Jihad'. This is the first time that Shiv Sena activity has been reported in Kerala and I'm not very happy about it. Shiv Sena has always tried to restrict the growth of women in the name of Indian culture and takes pride in spreading communal messages. How can anyone forget the Bangalore bar incident? Girls were beaten up by Shri Ram Sena Activists for having a drink in the bar along with their male friends. Excuse me, but i thought this was India! Indian culture always stood for respecting women and what are they trying to preach by going around beating women? They have their parents and other elders to correct them if anyone feels that the girls have done some horrible sin. Advising them would have been ok, but beating them up publicly in front of TV cameras cannot be justified in any way! Rise of Shiv Sena and other similar 'Senas' in Kerala is definitely going to lead the society into the pit of communalism.
The inquiry commission appointed by the High Court has come to the conclusion that there is no racket involved in the whole 'Love Jihad' episode and the fears of the same are unnecessary. But not everyone is happy with the report it seems!

Its interesting to note that parents of children having inter caste marriage worry more about their children converting to other religion than about the idea of them living with someone of another religion. Our society has changed a lot but there is still a lot of things that need to be shaken off. I wonder when people will start realizing that love is beyond religion and should not be weighed down by it. Religious belief is a good thing but forgetting that the religion was made 'for the wellness of the people', and not 'people for the wellness of religion' will only demean both religion and love.

Uighur Uprising

China was never the favorite of human rights activists. With its stringent rules and restrictions, China has always alarmed the world. China’s oppressive measures in Tibet and the subsequent condition of the Tibetans are very much familiar to us. But there is more to Chinese brutality.

East Turkistan is a region situated in the northwestern parts of China and thickly populated with the ethnic group of Uighurs. These people who speak Turkic language follow Islam. Established as the ‘East Turkistan Republic’ in the 1940s,this nation was annexed by China and renamed Xinjiang (meaning ‘new territory’). This region came to the attention of the world in this July, when the Chinese president left the G-8 summit mid-way and returned home due to an Uighur uprising. The Uighurs who have always wanted an independent country were not only denied it but were also deprived of their fundamental and human rights. They are not even allowed to worship in accordance to their religion. In order to dilute the borders, a large number of Chinese people are being relocated to the Xinjiang province. In the 1940s the Chinese population in Xinjiang was a meager 4%, which rose to 40% by 2000. The recent Uighur uprising was brutally crushed by the Chinese government and the unofficial death toll is 197 while 1721 were left with injuries (officials claim much smaller figures). The Uighurs who escaped from the region has setup a ‘World Uighur Congress’ with its headquarters in Munich. Their leader is a former businesswoman, Rebiya Kadeer, who is now a refugee in USA. The Uighurs in and out of Xinjiang is pleading to the international community for support, something they rarely get. No one wants to incur the wrath of China, which is all set to become one of the major world powers in the coming years. But it’s high time they renewed their policies regarding Xinjiang and Tibet. China is trying to project the protesters as terrorists and is including them as targets in their fight against terrorism. If an independent nation is too much to ask for, at least human rights of the people can be easily granted. I think it’s the responsibility of all the world nations to rise up and stand by the oppressed Uighurs for the freedom they deserve.

Vote for the Earth

Its the season of elections out here in India and let our first vote go for the cause of mother earth.
Earth hour is a very novel and unique idea to unite against the factors affecting the very existence of our planet. Environmental pollution has been much discussed and debated. There have been many actions taken against it too.But not to the required extent.There are countries which observed a day for reducing pollution by switching on to walking and cycling. There are also nations who have time and again declined to put restrictions to there industrial waste disposal.Earth hour calls for the wakeing up of humanity for the cause of our planet.By switching off of lights at 8.30pm on 28th of March we join hands with millions of people around the world in observing Earth hour-an hour for the planet.This will send out a strong message to the people in power that we are not satisfied by there actions to protect our planet and i hope it will also trigger quick and effective actions. Lets all forget all our differences and unite for the fight for our existence.Join this movement and spare a thought for our planet.