http://desicritics.org/ Superior South Asian bloggers on Culture, Media, Politics, Sport, Business, and Technology. en Copyright 2006 by the authors Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:39:17 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss BC custom software http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-368287 Thank you for your comment, Sangita. I have sent you an email with a contact name/number who can assist. May God bless you. 368287@desicritics.org Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:39:17 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-368283 This is something I would like to contribute to financially, how do I get in touch with the administrators? 368283@desicritics.org Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:18:25 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336327 thank you folks, for your comments, apologies couldnt respond back earlier, got a bit tied up at work. Well, yes, that's basically it, we just need to do our little bit and it helps out such a lot! :) 336327@desicritics.org Thu, 3 Jul 2008 14:54:02 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336302 I have read this with interest - the length of the article and the photos not withstanding. Also, the other post "Mommy Dearest" before this. The initiative taken by the young lady, the police officer, and other well-wishers like yourself, BD, will surely bring more sparkle in the children's eyes. We don't need saints, only humans to take up such causes. 336302@desicritics.org Thu, 3 Jul 2008 05:56:57 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336299 awesome post!!! I think everyone of us can help in some small way or the other.I am volunteering with another such organisation in Delhi-NCR 'udayan care' http://udayancare.org. I think anybody who says proudly that this is my country has an incumbent responsibility to help the down trodden in any which way, to help this country become what it really deserves to be!!! 336299@desicritics.org Thu, 3 Jul 2008 02:59:00 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336169 Good for you! 336169@desicritics.org Tue, 1 Jul 2008 09:23:55 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336165 A good post. Another related topic is children begging and selling stuff at traffic intersections in India. I have read that most of the children are kidnapped and forced to beg by some mafias. Is this true? If so, what are the govts doing about it? 336165@desicritics.org Tue, 1 Jul 2008 08:02:08 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336162 BD Great show!! More needs to be done by all of us!! rgds 336162@desicritics.org Tue, 1 Jul 2008 07:10:26 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336077 Its getting tougher for NRIs to adopt from India. Someone in our family adopted two children but the procedures they had to go through were quite a few but then again one needs to be careful in such matters. 336077@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:52:31 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336041 BD, it is heartbreaking, and the sheer scale of the problem sometimes tires people out. it seems so insurmountable that the problems get ignored. when people ask me about india, one of the things I usually say is that you have to round the rough edges of your sensitivity or you will be eaten alive. and so it goes, we all round the edges and we become numb. but you have done the right thing. all we can do is act locally. I gave a lot of possessions and items to local orphanages, whatever my daughter outgrew, as well as some new items and formula. we also were good to our maids... because that was a way we could help someone we knew. I applaud becoming personally involved. what you have done is what everyone should do. and I share your sadness about the utter crappiness of the adoption procedures in India. My husband and I would love to adopt but from what we've heard the chances are NIL. So sad... so many unwanted kids and no interest from the government in placing them!!! 336041@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:41:25 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336010 Deepti This was in Central Chronicle website for children in Madhya Pradesh, about the government system. State Pulse: Madhya Pradesh: Women change system for child survival Caste based discrimination is a component creating challenges for children's right to survival -Lokendra Singh Kot If survival along with development is a right, then millions of children in India need justice. It is essential to understand that the constitutional right to nutrition needs to be defined in accordance with the fundamental right to life in the Constitution. It is worth mentioning that 16% of population under the age of six is covered under Integrated Child Development Scheme and only 0.88% of total budget is spent for them annually. In the context of right to nutritious food and Integrated Child Development Scheme, the experience of Madhya Pradesh reveals that Anganwadi workers are functioning under tremendous pressure from the State Government. Since the mal-nutrition is now being treated as the cause of resultant hunger deaths, therefore, the high-up bureaucrats and those at middle level are pressurizing the Anganwadi workers not to enter the names and addresses of malnourished children in their respective registers. This is being done under a well considered strategy to wriggle out from its responsibility of mal-nutrition deaths, that Anganwadi workers should not be allowed to register the names of those children who are the victims of extreme mal-nutrition of 3rd and 4th grade, because the Government believes that mal-nutrition of 1st and 2nd grade level is not a serious problem. That is why, due to this misconception, even the condition of children in the so-called 1st and 2nd grade level of malnutrition, instead of improving, is further worsening and bringing them within the fold of 3rd and 4th level of malnutrition. There is a need to change in population criteria for establishing new anganwadi. As Supreme Court of India has clearly ordered Indian Government that each and every settlement should have an anganwadi without any discrimination by December 2008. The fulfilment of this order is a non-political activity, it demands a political mass movement. Caste based discrimination is a component creating challenges for children's right to survival. The location of Anganwadi in villages is also an important criterion for ensuring its accessibility for all the children without discrimination. In this regard of course, state is lacking behind but some of the women leaders make the things positive. For example, Bawari panchayat sarpanch of Jhabua district, Suganbai, who is only 2nd class educated but fought with superstitions and wrong traditions in her area. She makes comfortable and recognized health practices for her own people through Anganwadi. She gave new life to "Chopal Panchayat." Actually, "Chopal Panchayat" is an old concept of solving the all the problems by their own panchayat people. Nothing goes outside the panchayat i.e. problems related to health, social, economic, political etc. In Madhya Pradesh 35-36 women die per day during delivery or post delivery. These lives could be saved but our infrastructure does not permit. In the state 70% of deliveries are done at home and among them 72% deliveries are completed by untrained daies. If we take all these data into consideration and compared with some of panchayats which are headed by women sarpanchs, are shown batter results. We have now lot of examples, Bawai panchayat sarpanch Champabai, district Rewa, Titra panchayat sarpanch, shakuntlabai, district Sedhi, Rajod panchayat sarpanch, Ditubai, district Dhar, Khatia panchayat sarpanch, Sukhvatibai, Runija panchayat sarpanch, Madhuri and many more fought and do their level best in the areas of health. Specially, the health problems related to women and children. For a woman in a feudal society sitting with men and deal their own problems in a meeting, though in purdah, might be a big achievement while for some it may be just crossing the boundaries of their households in which they've been bounded since ages. Deetu bai Narve, sarpanch of Rajod panchayat struggle for her Anganwadi. Although there is one Anganwadi, but it is located in the area dominated by upper caste people and as such, it is difficult for the children belonging to Dalit (scheduled caste) category to enter into the said Anganwadi. She fights for the shifting of Anganwadi at neutral place and till date fighting is going on at the panchayat level to district level. I never give up, she boldly said. In 175 Anganwadis of Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, coarse gain food - Dalia, contaminated by fungus, was distributed. Similarly, since almost 75% of Anganwadis are situated in kucha houses, therefore, it is extremely difficult to maintain the quality of food being stored in such places. Thus, for the sake serving quality food, it is also necessary that Anganwadis be opened in pucca houses and proper arrangements are made for storing the food items there. In this process, many women leaders like Chatar bai, sarpanch of Pachakvasa panchayat made her first priorities to buildup pukka Anganwadi kendra. She succeeded in her efforts and regularly monitored the quality of food provided in anganwadi. In this connection, even the Comptroller Auditor General of Madhya Pradesh, in its report, raised fingers over the quality of nutritious food in Anganwadis. The report points out that the required ratio of Dal, Gur and Salt was not applied while preparing the nutritious food, meaning thereby that children are not consuming - rather not being provided with standard amount of calories, protein and carbohydrate in the food being served to them. Madhuri Rathore, Sarpanch, Runija Panchayat, a home science graduate lady taken care of nutritious food supplied to the children. She made a committee to cover all the sensitive issue of food supply to the children of the panchayat. Many time she made complaints against the poor quality and got replaced best quality food material. Generally, the workers for Anganwadis are appointed either out of local area or those belonging to deprived sections of society, because of their psychological attachment with the area and being face-to-face with the reality of the situation. In many women dominated panchayats, the needy women were given preference as anganwadi worker and they are also exposed to training. Looking at the comprehensive and sensitive nature of their duties, the children are divided into two categories i.e. (i) in the age group of 6 months to 3 years; and (ii) in the age group of 3 years to 6 year. To serve the children, two Anganwadi workers be appointed - one for each group categories of children. Generally, about 80 to 100 children are registered in one Anganwadi and, as such, it is just not possible for one Anganwadi worker to properly look after the whole lot of children single handedly. This kind of practical problems faced by the real workers in the panchayats. If government wants more effective operation of anganwadi, they must look at the sensitiveness of women. Of course the above example of women leaders are not enough but, trends shows that through proper human resources management we can change the overall situation. 336010@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:12:51 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336009 BD, I lack the expertise to criticize the editorial merits of your essay. But the content is apropos and deserves comment. First and foremost, well done! The fact you contributed to the welfare of children in need is admirable and worthy of recognition...although I'm sure that wasn't your motive. Its one thing to pontificate generosity, quite another to put action to words. Perhaps the lack of comment is not due to your writing techniques, but because (like me) folks feel a little guilty for not doing more to help those who need it most. I can and should do more. Thanks for the article. And for us iconic minded folks (intellectually challenged) the more photos the better. Ciao, Guido 336009@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:07:11 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336008 This is good work but am surprised when I read that this needs funds while in Bhopal there is child rights observatory, a society promoted by UNICEF on child rights. Why dont they support this centre. Or what are they doing there ? I am from Mumbai but read about in newspapers about malnutrition deaths in Madhya Pradesh, hunger deaths and many children news which state that they are suffering. Then my question is that What is the observatory doing ? 336008@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:01:30 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336005 Its on the cultural spotlight:) And I was deeply touched as well. 336005@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:10:39 EDT http://desicritics.org/2008/06/28/124212.php#comment-336003 beady: some comments take them as you'd from a well wisher...:) am surprised to see not a single comment on such a well meaning topic and here are some thoughts on the reason why: * the length – at 1865 words it is over the limit that can be comfortably read on the screen according to experts * too many pictures...distracting... check out the papers such as the Independent, Guardian, NYT, WSJ, ToI and notice how many pictures they carry with their stories...usually one powerful picture * always proof-read and spell check before submitting ("Nothing much, you rally do not have to do much.") ... as a reader typos leave a bad taste...as if the writer does not care for the reader * and this has nothing to do with this effort per se...but you might want to consider dropping "All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!"...I have a feeling it has clichéd out its usefulness....also... when removed it might also motivate you to improve the closures... 336003@desicritics.org Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:35:55 EDT