Kolkata calling: Shikha Mukerjee
As history will testify, it has always been acrimonious. It has always been rife with suspicion. But at some point, the Congress and the Communists, currently the dominant Communist Party of India (Marxists) have had to get along. Anti-Congressism is as much a part of Communist ideology as Marxism and therein lies the rub.
Debating comrades collectively find it difficult to reconcile themselves, in principle, to the possibility of working with the Congress. In reality, debating comrades know that if they are at all serious about keeping the Bharatiya Janata Party at bay, consolidating the position that opportunity thrust them into in 2004, broaching the idea of strengthening their footprints outside their particular enclaves, then partnering the Congress is politically necessary.
Debating comrades are also aware that partnering the Congress is not sufficient, as it would make them far too vulnerable to pressure and so unable to return the pressure with interest as they have been doing since 2004. In other words, flirting with the idea of the Third Front is as seriously necessary as leaving just that much political room in which to manoeuvre over a deal with the Congress, should circumstances require it.
As the 19th party Congress of the CPI(M) draws to a close, the verdict on partnerships will be ambivalent. On its part, the Congress seems to be making the sort of gestures that can be interpreted as heeding the warnings of the CPI(M). Within hours of the announcement of the deadline for taking concrete steps to bring down prices issued from Coimbatore, the Centre seems to have unveiled a plan to do so.
If the import duty cutbacks on all edible oils and maize, plus, the ban on exports of non-basmati rice is coincidence, or merely accidental, it is nevertheless fortuitous, for the CPI(M). The jump in wholesale prices of food grains pushing inflation up to almost seven per cent is as much politically as in terms of the economy destabilising. To provide relief, the Government has acted, but it also serves the CPI(M)'s purpose, of affirming its role as the conscience keeper of the Congress and vigilante, for the poor.
On the nuclear deal, the CPI(M) and the Congress seem to be locked into irreconcilable positions and that could be more difficult to sort out. While the Congress has bought some time after the visit of the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Washington, it has not given up hopes of signing the deal before it calls the elections, due in 2009. How that particular knot can be cut is for the CPI(M) to decide, because it has staked its idealism on opposing the deal.
For West Bengal, the 19th party Congress has brought relief, as comrades have been informed of the imperative to race along the same route that the rest of India has taken to deliver a spectacular economic growth rate. The uneasiness within the CPI(M) over Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's enthusiasm for promoting capitalism may remain, but with the imprimatur of the 19th party Congress, comrades will no longer choke over it.
What remains for the comrades to do is to figure out how the party can grow bigger not merely stronger in its three enclaves. The mismatch between status and size, influence and numbers is embarrassing. In the States where the CPI(M) is entrenched, the comrades are far too preoccupied with sustaining the party. In the States where the CPI(M) is virtually a signboard, there are not enough comrades to organise and implement any plan of action.
If the CPI(M) ends up repeating a set of platitudes, as it has been doing since the 1980s, the party will go nowhere. If the CPI(M) has a strategy that it can pursue, the general secretary Prakash Karat, will have to accept its success or failure as a personal challenge.
Without the back up of Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Jyoti Basu can the CPI(M) adopt a definite target for growth? To do so would require guts, because it would mean taking initiatives in those states where the CPI(M) has wooed regional parties as partners.
For any comments, queries or feedback, kindly mail us at pioneerletters@yahoo.co.in
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=STATES&file_name=state12%2Etxt&counter_img=12
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
CPM worries mount as Muslims look for greener pastures in red bastions
1 Apr, 2008, 0242 hrs IST,Amita Shah, TNN
COIMBATORE: The Sachar committee report, just like others in the “secular” side, was seen by the CPM as a powerful weapon for its Muslim outreach.
It went to the extent of claiming the authorship of many of its recommendations. But if the statistics on the party’s support among the Muslims are anything to go by, its powerful advocacy of the report has not brought any political dividend for the party.
In West Bengal, the Muslim membership in CPM has dropped from 14.9% to 14.67%. In its other stronghold, Kerala, the party has only made marginal gains — from 9.44% to 10.35%. Nationally, only one out of 10 members of the party is from the Muslim community.
This piece of statistics must be worrying for the party. The recent agitations in Nandigram saw the hardline Muslim organisations throwing their weight behind the anti-CPM forces in West Bengal. Although chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee came down heavily on the Jamiat-e-Islami after the Nandigram episode, the CPM demonstrated its powerlessness to act against hardline opinion when Muslim organisations took to streets in Kolkata against controversial Bangladeshi writer, Taslima Nasreen. Bowing to pressure from the section, the CPM bundled Taslima out of Kolkata.
The drop in the party membership clearly suggests that the CPM is no longer an attractive political option for the minority community. The community members are finding nesting grounds other than the communist tents in the state.
The slow growth in Kerala, too, can be attributed to the growing clout of community leaders like Abdul Nassar Madani. A section of the CPM concede that the support that it extended to Madani will not help the party in the long run. This assessment is not off the mark as Madani’s PDP has made it clear that its political preferences will be dictated by the political circumstances during the polls. In other words, there is no guarantee of the PDP supporting the Left Front in the next polls.
The CPM has only itself to blame as Madani’s victimhood project was lapped up by the party. This earned him pockets of influence in southern and central Kerala. Many in the party admit that Madani will be in a position to swing elections in constituencies with significant Muslim presence.
That the growing clout of the hardline community leadership is a cause of worry is being conceded in the organisational report of the CPM. “Muslim fundamentalists have stepped up their attack on us. In coming days, while defending rights of minorities, it is necessary to strongly counter the false propaganda of fundamentalists against us,” the report said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/CPM_worries_mount_as_Muslims_look_for_greener_pastures_in_red_bastions/articleshow/2915521.cms
COIMBATORE: The Sachar committee report, just like others in the “secular” side, was seen by the CPM as a powerful weapon for its Muslim outreach.
It went to the extent of claiming the authorship of many of its recommendations. But if the statistics on the party’s support among the Muslims are anything to go by, its powerful advocacy of the report has not brought any political dividend for the party.
In West Bengal, the Muslim membership in CPM has dropped from 14.9% to 14.67%. In its other stronghold, Kerala, the party has only made marginal gains — from 9.44% to 10.35%. Nationally, only one out of 10 members of the party is from the Muslim community.
This piece of statistics must be worrying for the party. The recent agitations in Nandigram saw the hardline Muslim organisations throwing their weight behind the anti-CPM forces in West Bengal. Although chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee came down heavily on the Jamiat-e-Islami after the Nandigram episode, the CPM demonstrated its powerlessness to act against hardline opinion when Muslim organisations took to streets in Kolkata against controversial Bangladeshi writer, Taslima Nasreen. Bowing to pressure from the section, the CPM bundled Taslima out of Kolkata.
The drop in the party membership clearly suggests that the CPM is no longer an attractive political option for the minority community. The community members are finding nesting grounds other than the communist tents in the state.
The slow growth in Kerala, too, can be attributed to the growing clout of community leaders like Abdul Nassar Madani. A section of the CPM concede that the support that it extended to Madani will not help the party in the long run. This assessment is not off the mark as Madani’s PDP has made it clear that its political preferences will be dictated by the political circumstances during the polls. In other words, there is no guarantee of the PDP supporting the Left Front in the next polls.
The CPM has only itself to blame as Madani’s victimhood project was lapped up by the party. This earned him pockets of influence in southern and central Kerala. Many in the party admit that Madani will be in a position to swing elections in constituencies with significant Muslim presence.
That the growing clout of the hardline community leadership is a cause of worry is being conceded in the organisational report of the CPM. “Muslim fundamentalists have stepped up their attack on us. In coming days, while defending rights of minorities, it is necessary to strongly counter the false propaganda of fundamentalists against us,” the report said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/CPM_worries_mount_as_Muslims_look_for_greener_pastures_in_red_bastions/articleshow/2915521.cms
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Children being trafficked in thousands from Bengal
Press Trust of India
Thursday, March 13, 2008 (Kolkata)
Lured with the promise of good jobs or marriage, thousands of children, especially girls, were being trafficked from seven districts of West Bengal, an NGO has claimed.
Most of the children were trafficked to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Jalandhar besides other northern cities in Haryana, UP and Bihar, the NGO Save the Children said quoting data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
It was found that these children were routinely subjected to many different forms of abuse from unsafe working conditions and lack of food to being beaten, deliberately burnt or sexually abused.
Releasing its study 'Missing Children in West Bengal' in Kolkata, done over a period of four years, it said that in Patharpratima in South 24 PArganas, 71 children were reported missing since 2005 of whom 28 were rescued.
Similarly, in Sandeshkhali in the same district 302 children went missing between 2004 and 2006 of whom 30 were traced.
''Sandeshkhali and Patharpratima are only symbolic of a growing tide of missing children in West Bengal,'' it said.
''It is these trafficked children who have been reported missing,'' the NGO said.
The districts from which they were trafficked were South and North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore, Nadia and Jalpaiguri.
Child abuse on the rise
''Most child domestic workers are young girls who come from poor families and are forced to work for up to 15 hours a day with no break or little to pay,'' the NGO said.
Of them 68 per cent had faced physical abuse and 46.6 per cent severe abuse that led to injuries, 32.2 per cent had their private parts touched by the abuser and 20 per cent forced to have sexual intercourse, it said.
''Fifty per cent of the children do not get any leave in a year, 37 per cent never see their families and 78 per cent receive less than Rs 500 per month.''
Stressing that child domestic work should be eradicated, the NGO said hazardous and exploitative forms of child work should be done away with and they should be assisted to develop socially and educationally.
Other findings were that of the missing children, 66.6 per cent were girls, 49.06 per cent children between 15-18 years of age and 29.96 per cent between 13 and 14 and 20.97 per cent below 12 years.
''It was found that 15.04 per cent children never attended school, while 76.69 per cent studied up to fifth standard, 2.92 per cent children left their homes for work and 11.67 per cent were taken out for marriage.''
Cases not reported
Only 16.18 per cent missing cases were reported to the police or panchayats, while in 83.82 per cent cases, the parents either tried to get information on the child either themselves or through other contacts.
It said about 49.54 per cent children were missing for over two years.
''Each of the villages has a significant number of children who have gone out to work. Of those who go out to work, there are a critical number of those who, however, do not return. This leads us to grapple with the fact that when do parents realise the fact that their children are missing.''
Referring to the Nithari killings in UP, the study quoted the Department of Women and Child Development to say ''it reflects the general apathy and malaise in the administrative system, especially the police in tackling the problems of children and ensuring their safety and protection.''
It also said that it and its partners were able to reform a group of traffickers through anti-trafficking measures in source districts.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080043914&ch=3/13/2008%2011:53:00%20AM#
Thursday, March 13, 2008 (Kolkata)
Lured with the promise of good jobs or marriage, thousands of children, especially girls, were being trafficked from seven districts of West Bengal, an NGO has claimed.
Most of the children were trafficked to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Jalandhar besides other northern cities in Haryana, UP and Bihar, the NGO Save the Children said quoting data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
It was found that these children were routinely subjected to many different forms of abuse from unsafe working conditions and lack of food to being beaten, deliberately burnt or sexually abused.
Releasing its study 'Missing Children in West Bengal' in Kolkata, done over a period of four years, it said that in Patharpratima in South 24 PArganas, 71 children were reported missing since 2005 of whom 28 were rescued.
Similarly, in Sandeshkhali in the same district 302 children went missing between 2004 and 2006 of whom 30 were traced.
''Sandeshkhali and Patharpratima are only symbolic of a growing tide of missing children in West Bengal,'' it said.
''It is these trafficked children who have been reported missing,'' the NGO said.
The districts from which they were trafficked were South and North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore, Nadia and Jalpaiguri.
Child abuse on the rise
''Most child domestic workers are young girls who come from poor families and are forced to work for up to 15 hours a day with no break or little to pay,'' the NGO said.
Of them 68 per cent had faced physical abuse and 46.6 per cent severe abuse that led to injuries, 32.2 per cent had their private parts touched by the abuser and 20 per cent forced to have sexual intercourse, it said.
''Fifty per cent of the children do not get any leave in a year, 37 per cent never see their families and 78 per cent receive less than Rs 500 per month.''
Stressing that child domestic work should be eradicated, the NGO said hazardous and exploitative forms of child work should be done away with and they should be assisted to develop socially and educationally.
Other findings were that of the missing children, 66.6 per cent were girls, 49.06 per cent children between 15-18 years of age and 29.96 per cent between 13 and 14 and 20.97 per cent below 12 years.
''It was found that 15.04 per cent children never attended school, while 76.69 per cent studied up to fifth standard, 2.92 per cent children left their homes for work and 11.67 per cent were taken out for marriage.''
Cases not reported
Only 16.18 per cent missing cases were reported to the police or panchayats, while in 83.82 per cent cases, the parents either tried to get information on the child either themselves or through other contacts.
It said about 49.54 per cent children were missing for over two years.
''Each of the villages has a significant number of children who have gone out to work. Of those who go out to work, there are a critical number of those who, however, do not return. This leads us to grapple with the fact that when do parents realise the fact that their children are missing.''
Referring to the Nithari killings in UP, the study quoted the Department of Women and Child Development to say ''it reflects the general apathy and malaise in the administrative system, especially the police in tackling the problems of children and ensuring their safety and protection.''
It also said that it and its partners were able to reform a group of traffickers through anti-trafficking measures in source districts.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080043914&ch=3/13/2008%2011:53:00%20AM#
3,429 gone in two years, says survey
Posted online: Thursday , March 13, 2008 at 01:53:37
Kolkata, March 12 Nearly 300 children have gone missing from three small blocks in North and South 24 Parganas since 2005, says a pilot survey conducted by the state government.
The study, titled ‘Missing Children in West Bengal’, which was released on Tuesday, points out that the missing kids are a part of 3,429 children who are trafficked from their homes to work as domestic helps or are sold into brothels. The findings also reveal that nearly half the children are trafficked to Delhi through a nexus of agents.
The survey was conducted by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare and a UK-based NGO, Save the Children. It concentrated on three blocks - Sandeshkhali I, Sandeshkhali II in North 24 Parganas and Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas.
The aim was to gauge the extent of child trafficking, its causes, trafficking rackets, their modus operandi, and the social factors surrounding the menace. A house-to-house survey was done with detailed profiling of the missing children.
“The findings are alarming. We intend to do such studies throughout the state. This was a pilot project which helped us understand the reality of child trafficking at the grassroots level,” said K P Sinha, state director of Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare.
The elaborate study covered eight gram panchayats of Sandeshkhali I and II, and 15 of the Patharpratima block. A total of 265 villages were covered.
It was found that 3,429 children were trafficked from their homes, of which 271 are missing since 2005 (199 from Sandeshkhali I, 54 from Sandeshkhali II and 18 from Patharpratima). The survey found that around 66.67 per cent of these are girls.
Of the missing children, 82.92 per cent had left their home for work and 11.67 per cent for marriage. “Most of the children are taken out of the village by a racket of contractors or agents. The modus operandi is simple. Local sub-agents lure the children away from their parents with a prospect of good work, income and a better life, while others with the prospect of marriage. The economically poor families are targeted. At a particular time an agent comes and takes the children away in groups after paying a paltry sum to the parents. A casual contract is drawn on paper,” said Shireen Vakil Miller, head, advocacy and policy, Save the Children.
“They are then taken to placement agencies, mostly in Delhi. Ultimately, these children are categorised and sent to do domestic chores or they are sold off to music bars or red light areas. Some of the girls are sold as brides to states with a lower sex ratio. It takes the parents a long time to realise that their children are missing. Yet, fear prevents them from lodging a complaint. So, a majority of the cases go unreported,” said project coordinator Manadendra Roy.
The study also profiled the education level of the missing children: 76 per cent of them studied till Class V and the rest never attended school. Among the girls, the figures are even more dismal: 79 per cent never attended school or studied only till Class III. About 47.52 per cent of the children are trafficked to Delhi. The rest to Mumbai, Bangalore, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Kashmir.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/3-429-gone-in-two-years-says-survey/283908/
Kolkata, March 12 Nearly 300 children have gone missing from three small blocks in North and South 24 Parganas since 2005, says a pilot survey conducted by the state government.
The study, titled ‘Missing Children in West Bengal’, which was released on Tuesday, points out that the missing kids are a part of 3,429 children who are trafficked from their homes to work as domestic helps or are sold into brothels. The findings also reveal that nearly half the children are trafficked to Delhi through a nexus of agents.
The survey was conducted by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare and a UK-based NGO, Save the Children. It concentrated on three blocks - Sandeshkhali I, Sandeshkhali II in North 24 Parganas and Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas.
The aim was to gauge the extent of child trafficking, its causes, trafficking rackets, their modus operandi, and the social factors surrounding the menace. A house-to-house survey was done with detailed profiling of the missing children.
“The findings are alarming. We intend to do such studies throughout the state. This was a pilot project which helped us understand the reality of child trafficking at the grassroots level,” said K P Sinha, state director of Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare.
The elaborate study covered eight gram panchayats of Sandeshkhali I and II, and 15 of the Patharpratima block. A total of 265 villages were covered.
It was found that 3,429 children were trafficked from their homes, of which 271 are missing since 2005 (199 from Sandeshkhali I, 54 from Sandeshkhali II and 18 from Patharpratima). The survey found that around 66.67 per cent of these are girls.
Of the missing children, 82.92 per cent had left their home for work and 11.67 per cent for marriage. “Most of the children are taken out of the village by a racket of contractors or agents. The modus operandi is simple. Local sub-agents lure the children away from their parents with a prospect of good work, income and a better life, while others with the prospect of marriage. The economically poor families are targeted. At a particular time an agent comes and takes the children away in groups after paying a paltry sum to the parents. A casual contract is drawn on paper,” said Shireen Vakil Miller, head, advocacy and policy, Save the Children.
“They are then taken to placement agencies, mostly in Delhi. Ultimately, these children are categorised and sent to do domestic chores or they are sold off to music bars or red light areas. Some of the girls are sold as brides to states with a lower sex ratio. It takes the parents a long time to realise that their children are missing. Yet, fear prevents them from lodging a complaint. So, a majority of the cases go unreported,” said project coordinator Manadendra Roy.
The study also profiled the education level of the missing children: 76 per cent of them studied till Class V and the rest never attended school. Among the girls, the figures are even more dismal: 79 per cent never attended school or studied only till Class III. About 47.52 per cent of the children are trafficked to Delhi. The rest to Mumbai, Bangalore, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Kashmir.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/3-429-gone-in-two-years-says-survey/283908/
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Nude mentally challenged patients - Bengal’s public healthcare at a time of private bonanza
It has been argued that big capital investment in West Bengal “creates a wonderful opportunity to make much larger investments in public education, healthcare, public transport, environmental protection, and other public goods.” (Amartya Sen, The Telegraph). On the other hand, the argument has been made that a government with a neo-liberal mindset does not care about people who, because of their purchasing power, are outside the market. If the government has money, it will make malls and flyovers, at the cost of public health. The problem is not one of intention but definition.
Facts seem to bear this out - for example, here’s a Prtichi Trust report on the state of healthcare in West Bengal: On the day of the survey, 7 of 18 health sub-centers were not working. Of 3 Block level health centers, one did not have facilities for testing blood, urine, or stool. 29% of the patients spoke of being treated by quacks. In Birbhum district, only 45% infants had been completely vaccinated, and 53% births had taken place outside any healthcare institution. (Work for everyone and Amartya Sen).
The striking statatistics below demonstrate that the market, left to itself, is unable to generate adequate incentives to address the health needs of the majority of the world’s population:
“Malaria, tuberculosis, and the strains of HIV common in Africa kill 5 million people each year, almost all of them in low-income countries. Effective vaccines against these diseases are desperately needed. Yet there is a striking dearth of research and development (R&D) on vaccines and treatments for diseases primarily affecting poor countries. Of the 1233 drugs licensed worldwide between 1975 and 1997, only 13 were for tropical diseases, and only 4 of those were specifically developed by commercial pharmaceutical firms to treat tropical diseases in humans. Half of all global health R&D in 1992 was undertaken by private industry, but of that, less than 5 percent was spent on diseases specific to poor countries”. - Kremer, M. (2004),
“On How to Improve World Health”, Daedalus, 133/3: 120-3.
Amidst all the statistics, local and international, it is perhaps instructive to look at a particular human story - the state of government healthcare for people who come at the very bottom of the purchasing market - the mentally challenged. The story is typical, and demonstrates the inhumanly dysfunctional nature of state healthcare that is forcing even the poorest to seek private institutions way beyond their means.
Mentally challenged female patients kept in a state of undress at Pavlov hospital, Kolkata
By Soma Mukhopadhyay. Translated by Soumya Guhathakurta, Sanhati
Where are her clothes? A question like this should not to be asked at Pavlov Hospital, Kolkata, because that is the norm at this institution for the mentally challenged. If you dare to ask, you will immediately face the wrath of the hospital’s employees union and have to apologise. You could be the hospital’s Superintendent - it doesn’t matter.
Situated at a distance of roughly 6 km from Writers Building, the administrative headquarters of the Left Front Government, this picture of a government hospital for the mentally challenged exhibits the inhuman state of affairs that healthcare really is in this Left Front ruled state. It is a typical picture.
The hospital has been in a state of turmoil since last Saturday (8th March, 2008) when a doctor on duty protested against this inhuman practice and as a consequence was insulted and then went on leave.
The sequence of events began on the morning of 8 March which, incidentally, is the International Womens’ Day. An 80 year old female inmate called Jibonprobha Mukhopadhyay’s condition deteriorated and her relatives were informed. On rushing to the hospital, the daughter and another relative of her’s were taken to the ward by the attending doctor, Dr. Ashish Acharya. A shocking scenario met their arrival - the 80 year old inmate, in a state of undress, was crawling across the ward to meet her visitors. The nakedness in the ward was all-pervading amongst inmates of various age groups. Everybody was naked. There were class IV employees going around the ward as well as other men in the ward for minor repair work. Jibonprobha’s daughter immediately covered her mother with a saree that she was carrying with her.
The other inmates broke down into sobs of despair and indignity. Sources in the hospital said that many inmates in the ward were at a level of mental alacrity at which they could feel the shame and indignity of being kept forcibly in a state of undress. Dr. Acharya protested about this inhuman practice and a row erupted.
Sources within the hospital said that, as a practice, inmates are kept in a state of undress till their clothes come back washed and dried. This inhuman method is often justified from the inmate’s safety and security point of view.
When the doctor lodged a protest, nurses and class IV employees demanded an explanation as to the reason for allowing the relatives of an inmate inside the ward. During the course of the argument the doctor asked a female employee how she would feel if she was treated in a similar manner. This offended the female employee and a group of employees brought a complaint against the doctor to the hospital Superintendent.
An official in the hospital said that the Super summoned the doctor as class IV employees declared that they would not work till the matter was settled. The doctor was threatened in front of the Super. Finally the Super, Arunendu Biswas, stood up and apologised on behalf of the doctor to the employees.
Dr. Ashish Acharya later said that he was in no way apologetic of his act and he did his duty as a doctor. He was not willing to make any other comment.
Is the practice of keeping inmates in a state of undress human? The nurses and class IV employees of the hospital were not willing to reply to this question.
Why are the inmates not clothed in another set when one set is sent for a wash? A nurse said that they in fact usually are, and perhaps there was a lapse on March 8. However, she also said that the matter was of minor consequence. Super Arunendu Biswas said that a complaint has indeed been received by him against Dr. Acharya but this was an internal matter of the hospital and he would not make any further comments on the issue. Are inmates of the hospital normally kept in a state of undress? The Super avoided answering the question.
There have been allegations in the past of inmates of Pavlov hospital being used to perform chores that ought to be normally done by class IV employees of the hospital. Unwillingness on the part of the inmates to do the chores invited physical beatings and other forms of intimidation.
In the recent past, a resident doctor was found dead in his quarters. The police recorded the case as one of suicide. A section of the doctors say that the deceased doctor was in a state of mental depression for sometime over the working environment in the hospital.
What do the West Bengal state government health authorities have to say after the March 8 incident at Pavlov hospital? Health offical Sanchita Bakshi commented that various incidents do occur at an institute for mental health. However, she was not aware about the incidents of March 8, and she would comment only after she makes an enquiry into the matter.
This article originally appeared in The Anandabazar Patrika
Facts seem to bear this out - for example, here’s a Prtichi Trust report on the state of healthcare in West Bengal: On the day of the survey, 7 of 18 health sub-centers were not working. Of 3 Block level health centers, one did not have facilities for testing blood, urine, or stool. 29% of the patients spoke of being treated by quacks. In Birbhum district, only 45% infants had been completely vaccinated, and 53% births had taken place outside any healthcare institution. (Work for everyone and Amartya Sen).
The striking statatistics below demonstrate that the market, left to itself, is unable to generate adequate incentives to address the health needs of the majority of the world’s population:
“Malaria, tuberculosis, and the strains of HIV common in Africa kill 5 million people each year, almost all of them in low-income countries. Effective vaccines against these diseases are desperately needed. Yet there is a striking dearth of research and development (R&D) on vaccines and treatments for diseases primarily affecting poor countries. Of the 1233 drugs licensed worldwide between 1975 and 1997, only 13 were for tropical diseases, and only 4 of those were specifically developed by commercial pharmaceutical firms to treat tropical diseases in humans. Half of all global health R&D in 1992 was undertaken by private industry, but of that, less than 5 percent was spent on diseases specific to poor countries”. - Kremer, M. (2004),
“On How to Improve World Health”, Daedalus, 133/3: 120-3.
Amidst all the statistics, local and international, it is perhaps instructive to look at a particular human story - the state of government healthcare for people who come at the very bottom of the purchasing market - the mentally challenged. The story is typical, and demonstrates the inhumanly dysfunctional nature of state healthcare that is forcing even the poorest to seek private institutions way beyond their means.
Mentally challenged female patients kept in a state of undress at Pavlov hospital, Kolkata
By Soma Mukhopadhyay. Translated by Soumya Guhathakurta, Sanhati
Where are her clothes? A question like this should not to be asked at Pavlov Hospital, Kolkata, because that is the norm at this institution for the mentally challenged. If you dare to ask, you will immediately face the wrath of the hospital’s employees union and have to apologise. You could be the hospital’s Superintendent - it doesn’t matter.
Situated at a distance of roughly 6 km from Writers Building, the administrative headquarters of the Left Front Government, this picture of a government hospital for the mentally challenged exhibits the inhuman state of affairs that healthcare really is in this Left Front ruled state. It is a typical picture.
The hospital has been in a state of turmoil since last Saturday (8th March, 2008) when a doctor on duty protested against this inhuman practice and as a consequence was insulted and then went on leave.
The sequence of events began on the morning of 8 March which, incidentally, is the International Womens’ Day. An 80 year old female inmate called Jibonprobha Mukhopadhyay’s condition deteriorated and her relatives were informed. On rushing to the hospital, the daughter and another relative of her’s were taken to the ward by the attending doctor, Dr. Ashish Acharya. A shocking scenario met their arrival - the 80 year old inmate, in a state of undress, was crawling across the ward to meet her visitors. The nakedness in the ward was all-pervading amongst inmates of various age groups. Everybody was naked. There were class IV employees going around the ward as well as other men in the ward for minor repair work. Jibonprobha’s daughter immediately covered her mother with a saree that she was carrying with her.
The other inmates broke down into sobs of despair and indignity. Sources in the hospital said that many inmates in the ward were at a level of mental alacrity at which they could feel the shame and indignity of being kept forcibly in a state of undress. Dr. Acharya protested about this inhuman practice and a row erupted.
Sources within the hospital said that, as a practice, inmates are kept in a state of undress till their clothes come back washed and dried. This inhuman method is often justified from the inmate’s safety and security point of view.
When the doctor lodged a protest, nurses and class IV employees demanded an explanation as to the reason for allowing the relatives of an inmate inside the ward. During the course of the argument the doctor asked a female employee how she would feel if she was treated in a similar manner. This offended the female employee and a group of employees brought a complaint against the doctor to the hospital Superintendent.
An official in the hospital said that the Super summoned the doctor as class IV employees declared that they would not work till the matter was settled. The doctor was threatened in front of the Super. Finally the Super, Arunendu Biswas, stood up and apologised on behalf of the doctor to the employees.
Dr. Ashish Acharya later said that he was in no way apologetic of his act and he did his duty as a doctor. He was not willing to make any other comment.
Is the practice of keeping inmates in a state of undress human? The nurses and class IV employees of the hospital were not willing to reply to this question.
Why are the inmates not clothed in another set when one set is sent for a wash? A nurse said that they in fact usually are, and perhaps there was a lapse on March 8. However, she also said that the matter was of minor consequence. Super Arunendu Biswas said that a complaint has indeed been received by him against Dr. Acharya but this was an internal matter of the hospital and he would not make any further comments on the issue. Are inmates of the hospital normally kept in a state of undress? The Super avoided answering the question.
There have been allegations in the past of inmates of Pavlov hospital being used to perform chores that ought to be normally done by class IV employees of the hospital. Unwillingness on the part of the inmates to do the chores invited physical beatings and other forms of intimidation.
In the recent past, a resident doctor was found dead in his quarters. The police recorded the case as one of suicide. A section of the doctors say that the deceased doctor was in a state of mental depression for sometime over the working environment in the hospital.
What do the West Bengal state government health authorities have to say after the March 8 incident at Pavlov hospital? Health offical Sanchita Bakshi commented that various incidents do occur at an institute for mental health. However, she was not aware about the incidents of March 8, and she would comment only after she makes an enquiry into the matter.
This article originally appeared in The Anandabazar Patrika
Besu protests spread to Kolkata streets
KOLKATA, March 25: The Students of Bengal Engineering and Science University protested against police atrocities and step-motherly attitude of university authorities in front of Metro channel this afternoon.
“Although FIRs have been lodged against more than 50 students, the main culprits have been purposely protected by the university authorities. Police refused to lodge our complaints against those culprits. No FIR has been lodged against the SFI supporters”, said Mr Shyamasis Das, spokesperson, Independent Consolidate (IC).
Despite knowing the students who were involved in the scuffle, university authorities have taken no action against them. Again, no enquiry has been made to find out whether outsiders were involved in the incident that took place last Thursday. “Some outsiders had beaten up around 20 students at first gate but authorities made no enquiry into it”, said another student.
Students alleged that instead of handling the situation, authorities asked them to vacate hostels at night. Even, the physically handicapped students and those who were injured were not spared and had to leave the hostel. “We carried neither books nor any money and had to spend the night in Howrah station”, said a student. Concerned about the prevailing tension, a student said “We are afraid that we might be attacked by SFI supporters anytime.”
Around 11 students of Besu surrendered at Howrah court today and were released on bail. n SNS
“Although FIRs have been lodged against more than 50 students, the main culprits have been purposely protected by the university authorities. Police refused to lodge our complaints against those culprits. No FIR has been lodged against the SFI supporters”, said Mr Shyamasis Das, spokesperson, Independent Consolidate (IC).
Despite knowing the students who were involved in the scuffle, university authorities have taken no action against them. Again, no enquiry has been made to find out whether outsiders were involved in the incident that took place last Thursday. “Some outsiders had beaten up around 20 students at first gate but authorities made no enquiry into it”, said another student.
Students alleged that instead of handling the situation, authorities asked them to vacate hostels at night. Even, the physically handicapped students and those who were injured were not spared and had to leave the hostel. “We carried neither books nor any money and had to spend the night in Howrah station”, said a student. Concerned about the prevailing tension, a student said “We are afraid that we might be attacked by SFI supporters anytime.”
Around 11 students of Besu surrendered at Howrah court today and were released on bail. n SNS
Audit exposes panchayat lapses
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, March 24:
Hundreds of panchayats, mostly controlled by the CPI-M, have been steeped in corruption and financial irregularities to the tune of crore of rupees during the past few years. The audit report on the state panchayati raj institutions, tabled in the Assembly today, has laid bare this tangled web of malpractices.
In many cases not only money provided by different Central schemes was diverted, but people living below the poverty line for whom the schemes were meant, were deprived.
In 1,573 gram panchayats Rs 37.67 crore was spent during 2004-05 towards assistance under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) for construction and upgradation of huts, but none of the beneficiaries were from the BPL list. The scheme was specifically meant for this segment of the population. It “shows lack of internal control in selection of beneficiaries as per the guidelines of the scheme”, the report stated. In another instance of corruption of colossal proportions, Rs 259.54 crore was given to the beneficiaries for constructing 68,245 sanitary latrines in 1,328 gram panchayats and 78,766 smokeless chullahs in 1,592 panchayats during 2004-05, but not a single such unit has come up.
During 2002-2005 11 panchayat samitis spent Rs 84.85 lakh for Central schemes under Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) by engaging contractors. The guidelines stipulate that no contractor can be engaged for such schemes devised for the benefit of the rural poor. Thus, the erring panchayat samitis gave undue favours to contractors with funds that could have “ensured employment generation of 82,113 mandays”, the report stated.
In another bizarre instance of irregularities, the guidelines of SGRY were twisted in such a manner that funds were spent for religious purposes though the scheme “prohibits” such use.
Two panchayat samitis of South 24-Parganas incurred expenditure to the tune of Rs 37.43 lakh for wages, materials and foodgrain valued at Rs 4.56 lakh toward wages, for constructing sheds, fencing, bus stands, road, ramps, towers and hogla sheds for the Ganga Sagar mela in 2004.
KOLKATA, March 24:
Hundreds of panchayats, mostly controlled by the CPI-M, have been steeped in corruption and financial irregularities to the tune of crore of rupees during the past few years. The audit report on the state panchayati raj institutions, tabled in the Assembly today, has laid bare this tangled web of malpractices.
In many cases not only money provided by different Central schemes was diverted, but people living below the poverty line for whom the schemes were meant, were deprived.
In 1,573 gram panchayats Rs 37.67 crore was spent during 2004-05 towards assistance under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) for construction and upgradation of huts, but none of the beneficiaries were from the BPL list. The scheme was specifically meant for this segment of the population. It “shows lack of internal control in selection of beneficiaries as per the guidelines of the scheme”, the report stated. In another instance of corruption of colossal proportions, Rs 259.54 crore was given to the beneficiaries for constructing 68,245 sanitary latrines in 1,328 gram panchayats and 78,766 smokeless chullahs in 1,592 panchayats during 2004-05, but not a single such unit has come up.
During 2002-2005 11 panchayat samitis spent Rs 84.85 lakh for Central schemes under Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) by engaging contractors. The guidelines stipulate that no contractor can be engaged for such schemes devised for the benefit of the rural poor. Thus, the erring panchayat samitis gave undue favours to contractors with funds that could have “ensured employment generation of 82,113 mandays”, the report stated.
In another bizarre instance of irregularities, the guidelines of SGRY were twisted in such a manner that funds were spent for religious purposes though the scheme “prohibits” such use.
Two panchayat samitis of South 24-Parganas incurred expenditure to the tune of Rs 37.43 lakh for wages, materials and foodgrain valued at Rs 4.56 lakh toward wages, for constructing sheds, fencing, bus stands, road, ramps, towers and hogla sheds for the Ganga Sagar mela in 2004.
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