Exploitation, illegalities breed in ashrams
The word 'Ashram' has a very deep meaning in Indian languages since the word indicates the philosophical and spiritual bond that one shares with the space. The place where saints and monks live, is called Ashram. But in today’s India, schools and colleges host varied types of ashrams. The ones that have mushroomed in the country host a variety of people too like orphans, aged ones, poor people, dalits etc. The most disheartening part is that, they have long ago lost their significance to their name and the works they engage in. They are just places that are set up to save taxes and may be even hoodwink people.
Some months ago, a few ashrams run by self-styled godmen and saints were raided and some gory details of women getting sexually exploited was discovered. Hundreds of women were being used as sex machines in another godman’s ashram. Though these incidents have been happening in all sorts of ashrams since long time, no government made up its mind to tackle this heinous crime with some stringent policies. Because if this is to be done, the government will have to bear the ire of thousands of such spiritual gurus, both original and fake. Many politicians are at their beck and call, so something revolutionary like this may not even happen.
The team of TISS or Tata Institute of Social Sciences exposed the sexual exploitation that was continuing unabated in CCI orphanage in Muzaffarpur. Among the 42 residents, 34 children and underage girls in age groups of 7 to 17 years were being sexually and physically exploited for years at CCI and affiliated orphanages. The report mentioned the situation at such shelter homes was so gory that those places were unfit for human existence. Shelter homes barely promised any minimum freedom to their inhabitants. The seven of the accused caregivers who connived with wrong doers in the incident happen to be women.
A girl, barely of 10 years age, ran away from Deora CCI in UP and exposed the sexual exploitation that took place there. The world was shocked to hear the details of this as well. Once a complaint was filed, the fact that this was an illegal organization and had no necessary permissions came to light. About 18 girls have gone missing from this place.
There is no dearth of law to stop such crimes from happening. But since the implementation is poor, such inhuman incidents take place time and again. The invigilation task forces are yet to be formed.
According to 2005 Act, all CCIs have to enroll themselves with the government. Every district needs to have a Child Protection Officer. A committee for child welfare and justice has to be set up. All such policies have failed before the money numerous CCIs have been able to feed the corrupt officers who have failed in invigilating the said organisations.
According to the survey conducted by NCPCR, about 32% of CCIs are not registered under policy guidelines of 2015 and the other 33% CCIs are not monitored by any authority either. Women and Children’s Department has been entrusted with the responsibility of allocating funds under comprehensive child protection scheme and conduct a social audit to avoid misappropriation of funds. Hence either none conducted an inquiry or audited the CCIs or has been maintaining a guided silence over the whole gory episode for a cost.
Now, NCPCR has directed all states that a social audit has to be carried out in all CCIs. This step is coming a bit too late after many lives have been silenced or affected owing to the inaction of such committees. With this, we may be witnessing more such incidents coming into broad day light. Not only private ashrams, but also those run by government or even with the aid of government may have been breeding place for such heinous crimes. Since children and girls who are in such shelter homes belong to very poor families or have no other place to go, they are unable to voice their miseries against this because the high and mighty with all economic and political backup are party to such instances.
Supreme Court has expressed its anguish over Muzzafarpur shelter home incident. According to NCPCR there are more than 1,515 children in CCIs that have been already subjected to various sexual crimes. Even if they got another chance with life, they are undergoing the same misery in shelter homes too. Hence the government has to initiate stringent action against people who have been party to such an inhuman crime. But the responsibility of the government does not end there. It must ensure the women and children living in such places have access to better living conditions and this has to be constantly monitored.
Many a times women and children live under most inhuman conditions being subject to such gruesome exploitation physically and sexually. They have no opportunity to register their opinion in the policies that are made for their protection. Their future is tied to the vision of the government and its officers. If their lives have to see better days, we must understand that though they live at the mercy of the government, they deserve a better chance with their future and a life of dignity. More than anything else, they have to be considered as equal partners with the society and its inhabitants.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
