The first government report on abuse of children in India brings to light some shocking statistics - 1 in 2 child suffers from one of three kinds of abuse: physical, sexual, psychological. Physical abuse does not come as a shock, as parents and teachers consider it sound-parenting to beat a child when he/she errs. Opinions will always be divided in the middle as to how much that assumption is correct. Psychological abuse, as was defined by experts on CNN-IBN, constitutes negative feedback to a child such as "you are no good", and are also considered by parents/teachers as inducements to good behavior. That, too, can be witnessed in the society on a regular basis.
The statistics say that boys are as likely to be sexually abused as girls. Few months back when there was the incidence of girls being molested in schools, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi came up with the quick solution of not keeping male teachers in girls' schools and co-ed schools for children below 11. The absurdity of this was obvious and I wrote a blog article then. So here we are. Now that we know that boys are as likely to be sexually abused as girls, what does the MCD now want to do? Ban male teachers altogether? But, is it that female teachers are never guilty of it. Then there is this other part of the report that says that in majority of the cases the uncles and cousins are the perpetrators. So? Expel more teachers, censure 'unacceptable' commercials, ban smoking in movies. Anything, but imparting sex-education in schools and making kids aware of the dangers that they are exposed to. Because you see, that would corrupt them. Wouldn't they stop watching/reading porn and just open text-books for their sensual pleasures?
Coming to BCCI. Team doesn't perform. Sure it must be that wretched mammon. So tighten their purses. Even if the performance of the team does not improve, at least the public at large will have the assurance that BCCI is concerned with their angst and is 'doing everything in its power' to improve the state of affairs in Indian cricket. The need for faster pitches, more exposure to domestic players, transparency in BCCI functioning will all be conveniently forgotten with time. Moreover, everybody knows that the team can not do any worse. It has to improve. So the situation is not all that bad. Everything is in control people!
There is this all-pervading tendency of quick-fix approach in Indian bureaucracy and politics: to every problem there is an express solution, that seems a solution only at the first glance. Look any closer and the secrets unravel. Riots broke? Do a 'CBI jaanch', set-up a sarkari committee and wait for its results and, more realistically, for the tempers to cool down.
And yes, I almost missed it. Sachin Tendulkar is such a traitor. How dare he disrespect our country by cutting a tri-colored cake? Sure he should be punished for it. Is there any greater sign of disrespect to the nation than cutting a cake?
The statistics say that boys are as likely to be sexually abused as girls. Few months back when there was the incidence of girls being molested in schools, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi came up with the quick solution of not keeping male teachers in girls' schools and co-ed schools for children below 11. The absurdity of this was obvious and I wrote a blog article then. So here we are. Now that we know that boys are as likely to be sexually abused as girls, what does the MCD now want to do? Ban male teachers altogether? But, is it that female teachers are never guilty of it. Then there is this other part of the report that says that in majority of the cases the uncles and cousins are the perpetrators. So? Expel more teachers, censure 'unacceptable' commercials, ban smoking in movies. Anything, but imparting sex-education in schools and making kids aware of the dangers that they are exposed to. Because you see, that would corrupt them. Wouldn't they stop watching/reading porn and just open text-books for their sensual pleasures?
Coming to BCCI. Team doesn't perform. Sure it must be that wretched mammon. So tighten their purses. Even if the performance of the team does not improve, at least the public at large will have the assurance that BCCI is concerned with their angst and is 'doing everything in its power' to improve the state of affairs in Indian cricket. The need for faster pitches, more exposure to domestic players, transparency in BCCI functioning will all be conveniently forgotten with time. Moreover, everybody knows that the team can not do any worse. It has to improve. So the situation is not all that bad. Everything is in control people!
There is this all-pervading tendency of quick-fix approach in Indian bureaucracy and politics: to every problem there is an express solution, that seems a solution only at the first glance. Look any closer and the secrets unravel. Riots broke? Do a 'CBI jaanch', set-up a sarkari committee and wait for its results and, more realistically, for the tempers to cool down.
And yes, I almost missed it. Sachin Tendulkar is such a traitor. How dare he disrespect our country by cutting a tri-colored cake? Sure he should be punished for it. Is there any greater sign of disrespect to the nation than cutting a cake?
