Some reflections on the 1971 War by a daughter

1. Jawans of the parabrigade being dropped in Dacca by Indian Air Force planes from Central Air Command Allahabad

From a newspaper dated 18 December 1971-

2. Transport planes used as bombers... 
A newspaper report dated 7 December 1971- 

3. The dashing Lieutenant General (Unni ) Candeth from Kerala who was the General Officer Commander –in- Chief Western Command during the 1971 War.

A newspaper report dated December 1971- 

4. The courageous Air Chief Marshal PC Lal, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, DFC

and his wife Mrs Ela Lal - both so inspiring, caring, compassionate… made sincere efforts to those impacted by the 1971 war and their families.

A message by Air Chief Marshal PC Lal from Air Head Quarters, New Delhi dated 24 December, 1971 -

On Guru Purnima

A sunny day, a gentle sea

A day to be reminded of ...an ocean of knowledge... ancestors... memories... gratitude..which have helped weather many storms when put to practice. 

Before the worship making a payasam with rice, jaggery, coconut milk, aromatic spices...

Aromatic spices leaves. before roasting and  powdering

A Platycerium gives forth new fronds on Guru Purnima day.

A Platycerium in Thiruvananthapuram Kerala

When a Gloriosa superba blossoms on Guru Purnima day... leading one to conversations towards the Kathopanishad. 
*They perceive that indescribable highest bliss as ‘This is That’ How shall I know that? Does it shine by itself or does it shine by another light*.

Gloriosa superba blossoms in Thiruvananthapuram Kerala

Gloriosa superba is known as 'Agnishika' in Sanskrit, 'Kalihari' in Hindi and 'Menthoni' in Malayalam. All parts of the Gloriosa superba are poisonous. The underground stems which are tubers are extremely poisonous due to the presence of toxic alkaloids like colchicine.

Reference: *transalated from Sanskrit - Valli ii of the Kathopanishad

When a daughter is given rights to inherit her ancestral family property

As a mother from the foothills of the Himalayas did by writing her entire agricultural land to her daughter Ratan Manjari - so she could live with dignity. Ratan Manjari now in her 60s went on to fight for the same right for other tribeswomen. The High Court in June 2015 granted property rights to tribeswomen under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.

Ratan Manjari after taking a victory procession to express gratitude to the High Court, would be helping other women to seek a share in their family property.

A report from the newspaper *The Tribune* published in Chandigarh by Pratibha Chauhan
 
Amid note of caution, tribal women to celebrate HC order

Tribal women of Kinnaur will formally celebrate the grant of inheritance rights in family property at the district headquarter of Peo tomorrow. They want the government to implement the High Court order, which will put an end to the law, where women were not entitled to a share in the property. The women of the tribal district of Kinnuar under the aegis of Mahila Kalyan Parishad will take out a victory procession at Peo, expressing their gratitude to the court for granting them property rights under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. However amidst this jubilation among women on grant of property rights, there is growing concern among many over the negative fallout of this development. Happy after the HC ruling, Ratan Manjari, who heads Mahila Kalyan Parishad, said, “I will make them aware about the court order and its implications and how they can seek a share in the family property,” Women from various panchayats falling under the three blocks of – Peo, Pooh and Nichaar — will take part in this function. Elected women representatives in various panchayat raj institutions (PRI) have specially been invited so that they can guide others to seek their rights, following the high court judgment of June 25 last month. Manjari said she will make a representation to Deputy Commissioner, all the Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and the Tehsildars in Kinnaur to take steps to implement the court order. “It is my duty to not just make the women aware about this right bestowed on them but also take up the issue with the officials to ensure implementation of the court order,” she stresses. However, there is concern among many over the negative fallout of this development. “We are not against grant of property rights to women but there must be some checks and balances which will ensure that we keep our tribal culture and identity intact,” said some elected representatives on condition of anonymity. Some women too seemed to be apprehensive of the negative fallout of this development if necessary precautions are not taken. Some people pointed out that the land holdings in Kinnaur are barely nine to 10 bighas per family which makes everyone a marginal farmer. “Further fragmentation of these small holdings will make the situation worse and the family land could be sold by the daughter of the family, after this court order,” said a Pradhan. Manjari and her team are, however, dismissive of any such concerns. “A majority of the women are happy and there is no question of the tribal culture being lost as on marrying a non-tribal, the land will automatically come back to the family as non-tribals cannot own land,” says Manjari.


The link to the report:
Amid note of caution, tribal women to celebrate HC order -The Tribune

*Himachal tribeswomen entitled to ancestral property* : High Court

Good tidings from the foothills of the Himalayas

Himachal tribeswomen entitled to ancestral property: HC
Pratibha Chauhan & Vijay Arora

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 25
Tribal women of Himachal Pradesh who have been fighting a battle for a share in their ancestral property got a shot in the arm today with the High Court saying they are entitled to inherit property in accordance with the Hindu Succession Act, 1956.

In order to protect women against social injustice and exploitation, the court said women belonging to the tribal areas of the state will inherit property under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and not as per customs and usages. The court, while underlining that gender discrimination amounted to violation of fundamental rights, observed that law must evolve with time if societies are to progress. Women from various parts of Kinnaur have formed the Mahila Kalyan Parishad under the chairpersonship of Rattan Manjari from Ribba to seek equal share in ancestral property. They had even sought the intervention of the National Commission for Women and the National Tribal Commission in their fight for equal property rights and necessary amendment to the customary laws.

“This entire talk about gender equality holds no meaning for tribal women in Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Bharmour and Pangi since we do not get a share in ancestral property,” said Ratan Manjari.

“It is made clear by way of abandoned precaution that the observations made only pertain to right to inherit the property by the daughters under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and not any other privileges enjoined by the tribals in the tribal areas,” the judgment read.

The court further observed that gender discrimination violates fundamental rights.

While passing the order, Justice Rajiv Sharma observed: “Article 15 of the Constitution of India prohibits discrimination on the ground of sex. Articles 38, 39 and 46 envisage socio-economic justice to the women. Rule of law should establish uniform pattern in the society.” He observed that women had to be socially and economically advanced to bestow upon them dignity. The daughters in a society, who are Hindu, cannot be left and segregated from the main stream as they are entitled to equal share in the property. 
Reference: The Tribune: Himachal tribeswomen entitled to ancestral property: HC

Families impacted by serious mental illness in India are vulnerable...

...to indifference, harassment, harshness, predators, easy targets for very rude patronising behavior… Unsolicited advice is available in plenty, concrete support little. 

To preserve the person hood of a family member with serious mental illness is critical. It comes with the knowledge of knowing the person. It cannot be taught.


Giving care on a daily basis to a family member with serious mental illness takes most of a 24 hour day. The quantum of provision of care varies. Periods of intense supportive care are needed to be provided during psychosis, life threatening self-neglect, attempts at suicide …which are acute emergencies till a period of stability is reached.

Most people in India, even the educated and the aware, do not have easy access to inpatient beds in hospitals so crisis is managed at home with OPD visits to a psychiatrist the frequency of which increase during a crisis and relapse.

If one is fortunate to have sufficient financial resources, making appointments, visits to a dentist and other medical practitioners are helpful as a loved one grows older with a serious mental illness.

Medication management, easing the side effects, has to be ensured sensitively which is not easy with a lot of prowling predators discouraging treatments and offering all sorts of cures. The absence of IEC (Information Communication Education) campaigns which was one of the objectives of the National Mental Health Programme launched in India decades ago has been very favourable for *the growth of these predators*.

When a family has more than one family member with mental illness in India, to sustain the daily living activities without helpful support is very difficult. Tragedy follows and left behind is just the...remains. 

It happened recently with a family in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

A print media report is given below
28 May 2015:
When Prasannakumaran paid scant heed to policemen who advised him to take his mentally ill son to a doctor, little did he know that the boy's actions would claim his wife's life. In a tragic incident, a 48-year-old woman died at Alamcode near Attingal, allegedly after her teenage son bludgeoned her using a traditional lamp (nila vilakku) in the early hours of Wednesday. Police identified the deceased as Ushakumari of Pallimukku near Alamcode under Attingal police station. Police have arrested her 19-year-old son, Akhil alias Vishnu, in connection with the incident. The murder took place when his father Prasannakumaran and sister Aparna were sleeping over at relative's house nearby.

Attingal circle inspector M Anil Kumar said Vishnu, who had been mentally unstable for the past three years, had been in a violent mood since Tuesday morning and the tragedy could have been averted had the family taken him to a hospital. "Yesterday morning, he stabbed his father's hand using a knife in a violent fit of rage," Anil Kumar said. In the evening, he went to Alamcode Junction and created a ruckus, following which local residents summoned the police. Cops arrived on the spot and took him into custody. When his relatives approached police and sought his release, the cops advised them to take him to a hospital, but in vain. Above all, the family left Ushakumari who was also under treatment for mental illness with her violent son in the house.

"After he was stabbed in the morning, Prasannakumaran did not have the courage to return home. He also asked his 22-year-old daughter Aparna to accompany him to the relative's house," the inspector said. On Wednesday morning, Prasannakumaran visited the hospital to tend to his injury and then returned to his house. Upon reaching home, he saw Vishnu sitting in front of the house, his body drenched in blood. Terrified, he summoned a few local residents and entered the house through the back door to find his wife lying in a pool of blood in the living room. The room had blood all over, including on the walls and ceiling. "It is suspected that the boy may have struck her down with the lamp and then clubbed her repeatedly on the head, causing the blood to spray out," police said.

The accused was produced before court and remanded in judicial custody. The magistrate has forwarded a letter to the Attingal sub-jail superintendent to subject the accused to a medical test to ascertain whether he was indeed mentally ill as claimed by the family. A copy of the letter has been forwarded to the district medical officer too. Vishnu, had dropped his studies after Class X owing to his mental illness. He often turned violent when he was denied money to eat food from outside. Prasannakumaran is a former NRI, who is currently into real estate business. Ushakumari was a homemaker.

Responses: 
1. A mother with mental illness who needed to be given supportive care died and her son with mental illness who should have been taken for emergency treatment has entered the criminal justice system.

2. Where is the assistance offered to the smallest social unit in society when a family member has mental illness? 

3. Where is the protection offered to the smallest social unit in society when a family member has mental illness? 

4. India has ratified many treaties which clearly state that assistance and protection should be given to preserve the family the smallest social unit in society which is not happening. 

5. 'The Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975 has already stripped many families of the traditional rights, support, comfort and protection of Joint families.

References:
1. The UN Convention Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
3. The Kerala Joint Hindu Family System (Abolition) Act, 1975
4. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
5.  The Hindu
6. The Times of India