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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Coach attendant returns passenger's bag containing cash, jewellery at New Delhi Railway Station
New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI): Displaying remarkable integrity, a coach attendant of Sampoorna Kranti Express train found and returned a bag containing cash and jewellery to a passenger, who had mistakenly left it on his seat, the Railway Ministry on Thursday said.
“When the train, which runs between Rajendra Nagar (Bihar) and New Delhi, reached the New Delhi Station, coach attendant Randhir Kumar Singh found a bag full of cash and jewellery,” said Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board.
Without compromising with his integrity, Singh immediately informed the train ticket examiner (TTE) about the unclaimed bag, he added.
The railway officials said the TTE also acted promptly and searching through the coach chart found out the names and number of passengers, who were sitting near seat number 17/18 in B-4 coach where the bag was found.
“One of the passengers who emerged as the claimant of the bag was Rajan Pathak. Pathak said that he boarded the train from Mirzapur and since there were many family members travelling together, they didn't know who carried which bag,” Kumar said.
“In such a scenario, the bag full of valuables was left at the seat. Pathak returned to the station midway and met the station officials to claim his bag,” he added.
According to station officials, they verified Pathak’s claim to be the owner by asking details of the bag and items that it contained.
After satisfying themselves that Pathak is the actual owner, they handed over the bag to him.
“Rajan Pathak is a priest from Vindhyachal Dham. He appreciated the honesty of the coach attendant and thanked the railways for wonderful service,” Kumar said.
