Sunday, September 30, 2012

One in every four elderly face abuse in State: study



-- Are senior citizens safe in cities?

BHUBANESWAR: After a long working life, an elder person wants a blissful retired life with family members. But, now-a-days it turned into a myth for some unfortunate elderly people in the country as well as the State who don’t get favour of his family and spend a miserable life with the negligence of his own family. Almost one in every four (23.2%) elderly people in the State face abuse and mostly by their family members, revealed a national-level study.

The study which was conducted by HelpAge India, a charity working for the country’s elderly, found that 31 per cent of older persons reported facing abuse in national level. In State-level, Madhya Pradesh ranked the highest in elder abuse with 77.12 per cent, while Jaipur (Rajasthan) reported miniscule 1.67 per cent cases of elder abuse, the report stated.

Particularly in Bhubaneswar, the primary abuser is the son in 62 per cent cases, followed by the daughter-in-law with 25 per cent cases and 13 per cent by others, the report revealed. It stated that 78 per cent of those abused didn’t report to anyone and 61 per cent of these did not report the matter to uphold family honor.

One of the most important and unfortunate thing is disrespect to the elders. In the capital city, the report said, 69 per cent older people perceived disrespect is more prevalent in society followed by verbal abuse (31%).

Though the older people’s population is only 9 per cent of the total population of the State in 2011 and it would be increased to 13.8 per cent in 2016, they are very important for the society to guide the young generation, said activist HelpAge India State head Rashmi Mohanty. “Due to their sacrifice and hard work, we are living in a better condition now,” she said.

Recently, two old women Sabitri Sahu (70) of Balabhadrapur and Saibani Sahu (65) of Bandhamunhi village in Nayagarh district were thrown out by their family members including son and daughter-in-law. After being cast aside by their family members, they roamed around the capital city and later they were rescued by Maa Ghar Foundation.

There are so many incidents are taking place everyday across the State, but the elderly people are not reporting to uphold their family honour. “Every father and mother in the society makes priceless sacrifice for the happiness of their children and to see them as good human beings amidst insurmountable obstacles. Even they go hungry to feed her children. But when they become old and infirm, face torture instead of love, affection and proper care from their children and family members. Do we really respect our elders,” said an activist.

According retired Professor of psychology in Utkal University and Geriatric counselor Prof Pravash Kumar Mishra, there is a psychological contract between elderly people and the youngsters. That psychological contract has become weak and sick and that generates attitudinal problem as the social values are decreasing among the new generations. Another problem is gender difference, he said, female elderly people are very adjustable than male elders. So the male elders are very much affected by the attitudinal problem in the family, he added.

Besides all these family factors, the elderly people are also facing many problems from the outside people. In cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Brahmapur, the elderly people living alone in their home are not safety. Recently, some miscreants murdered retired Professor Gopal Krushna Panigrahy (65), a retired zoology professor of Berhampur University and his wife Kamala Kumari Panigrahy (61) at their residence at Ramkrushna Nagar in the Brahmapur city.

Recently, in the capital city, one elderly woman Jyoshna Devi was killed and her husband Kunjabihari Panigrahy was brutally attacked by four miscreants. Prior to this, an elderly woman Pushpalata Jena was brutally killed when she was alone in her home at Barmunda in the city on February 1 last year. In July 27, 2010, Panda Nursing Home owner Dr Brahmananda Panda was also killed in Kharvelnagar in city by some miscreants.

The increasing crime against senior citizens depicts the gloomy picture. Following the heinous crime against senior citizens, the Commissionerate Police have started thinking about the security of the senior citizens living alone in the city. The Senior Citizen Security Cells would be strengthened very soon, said Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjeet Singh here on September 20.

Though some police stations under the Commissionerate Police have Senior Citizen Security Cells, but some other police stations in the city don’t have the cells, sources said. Still now more than four hundred senior citizens have registered their names in the cells of different police stations in the city.

Among all the gloomy pictures, some organisations are giving hope to the senior citizens abused by their family members. The organisations teach the elderly people how to live in a community life. They extend helping hands to protect the rights of the elderly people in the society and demand before the Government to provide social security. Whatever the reason behind the negligence of the old parents, but the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, 2007 has given a hope for the aged, said social activist Anuradha Mohanty. “No doubt there is a law, but the laws should be properly implemented in letter and spirit,” said CLAP director Bikash Das.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Civil body criticised Govt’s plan to transfer Bhoodan land to tahasils


--Total 58,722.2 acre Bhoodan land available in State out of 6, 38, 706 acres

BHUBANESWAR: “State Government’s plan to transfer the Bhoodan lands to tahasils will not fulfill its objective,” alleged Human Rights Front president Manoj Jena here on Friday at a Press meet organised by the Odisha unit of Ekta Parishad to inform about the Jan Satyagraha-2012, a march of landless poor to get land rights.

Recently, in a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary directed the DLR and S to prepare a proposal for bringing suitable amendments to the Odisha Bhoodan and Gramdan Act, 1970 and the Odisha Bhoodan and Gramdan Rules, 1972 to transfer the left over work of Bhoodan Yangya Samiti to respective Tahasils. Jena said the transfer of Bhoodan land works to tahasils is not other than a secret process for converting the land which is not permissible according to the law.

Jena said that 58,722.2 acres of Bhoodan land is available in the State out of total 6, 38, 706 acres Bhoodan land which was collected during Bhoodan movement. The rest 5, 79,984 acres of Bhoodan land were distributed among the people of the State, he added.     

Following the statement of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh about the missing of the records of around 24 lakh acres of Bhoodan land in various States, the noted Bhoodan workers of the country recently had expressed grave concern over the matter and urged the Government to recover the missing records of the Bhoodan land immediately which would immensely help the landless poor.

Ekta Parishad (Odisha) convener Bijay Pradhan said that they would join in the Janadesh Yatra led by Gandhian PV Rajgopal to press demands before the Central Government to give land rights to landless poor of the country. The Yatra would start from Gwalior on October 2 and end on October 29 at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. Around 25 thousand people across the country would join in the 28-day yatra, including 5,000 landless poor from Odisha, Pradhan said.        
    

‘Govt’s inaction fuels anger among western Odisha people’


--Utkal Bharat demands full compensation to Lower Suktel displaced people

BHUBANESWAR: “Lack of political initiatives and Government’s inaction fuel anger among the western Odisha people as the much awaited Lower Suktel irrigation project, lifeline of Balangir’s agriculture, is yet to start its work,” said Utkal Bharat state president Kharvela Swain here on Saturday.

He said that the State Government is in the state of confusion though it has given recommendation to start the project area. From 1998 to 2012 is a long time to wait for the project, but why the Government is so greedy while compensating the poor tribals who would be displaced from the project area. Without starting the project work, the Government is giving a chance to create partition within the project area people, he alleged.

“If the State Government fails to solve the matters in an amicable manner with pro-people attitude, the people would think that they are neglected by the Government and especially the separate Koshal State agitation would get life with people’s anger,” Swain said.

Swain said the Government should send a responsible person and solve the problems of the displaced people immediately. Mostly, the people of other states do not agree to give land for any dam or irrigation project spontaneously, but the people of Balangir had given their active consent to give land after getting adequate compensation which is a good sign. Then why the Government do not listen them, he questioned.
 
Swain demanded the Government to increase the compensation amount from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per acre as a very meager amount is given as compensation to the displaced persons. “If the Government is giving Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the displaced persons at Paradip, why they don’t like to give Rs 4 lakh per acre at Balangir,” he said.

Swain in his five-point charter of demands mentioned that the Government should take over the left-out lands in the project area by providing adequate compensation, demarcate alternative lands immediately for displaced landless tribals and provide compensation to the displaced people before starting the project by which the trust deficit will decrease.        

Rangamatia murder case: Police yet to nab culprits


BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police are still clueless to get at the culprits involved in the Rangamatia murder case even though two days have already passed since the incident took place on Friday. Following the death of Ranjan Behera at a private hospital the same night, tension prevailed in the village under Mancheswar police station limit in the city.

According to sources, the village committee members had lodged FIR against five persons of the village for creating disturbance and threatening some youths during a Ganesh immersion procession on Wednesday night. The police came to the village after getting the  complaint and talked with committee members to solve the case amicably within the village.

Later, the culprits planned to attack Behera suspecting him as the police complainant. They brutally attacked Behera on Friday evening with a sharp weapon. Injured Behera was rushed to a private hospital in the city where he succumbed to grievous injuries.

Following the death of Behera, the villagers and his friends became furious and torched the cattle shed of a culprit and attacked houses of the other culprits. Senior police officials reached the spot and took stock of the situation. The police are investigating into the matter.               



Friday, September 28, 2012

‘House for slum-dwellers eyewash’


-- provide 20x30 ft house: BSM

BHUBANESWAR: The members of the Basti Surakhya Manch (BSM), an outfit working for the slum-dwellers living in the State, on Friday opposed the State cabinet’s proposal which was approved on September 25 to introduce the Odisha Property Rights to Slum Dwellers and Prevention of New Slums Bill to give accommodation to the slum-dwellers in apartments. The members said the proposal is eyewash and nothing else.

According to the State Government’s proposal, the slum-dwellers who earn less than Rs 5,000 per month would get a house in the housing scheme which is ridiculous, said the members. Most of the slum-dwellers are daily labourers who normally earn Rs 200 per day and Rs 6,000 per month, they said, adding, “If we follow the rule, the slum-dwellers will not get a house, then for whom they are making the scheme,” the members questioned.

According to the members of BSM, the Government would displace them from their land and give it to the real estate firms, builders and land mafias to construct big apartments and buildings by giving only 10 per cent reservation for them in the apartments. They would be given well furnished social jail rooms instead of providing a congenial space for them to live like human beings, they lamented.

“It is totally land grabbing plan of the State Government to get the costliest areas of the city where they are living in,” alleged the BSM general secretary Pramila Behera.          

Behera said, It is a well coordinated plan before the urban poll to woo slum-dwellers who constituent 25 per cent of the total urban population of the State. “We have seen many schemes like VAAMBAY, BSUP scheme of JNNURM, Dharavi model, Kalinga Kutir Yojana and now Rajiv Awas Yojana to rehabilitate the slum peoples and make the city slum-free, but what is the end product? The political parties forget after winning the election,” she said.

BSM president Ramchandra Sahu demanded that the Government to make a clear cut policy for the rehabilitation of slum-dwellers, supplying of RORs to the dwellers of tenable slums and to provide identity cards after registering their names under section 383 and 384 of the OMC Act, 2003 of the State Government.

Nalco divestment row: BJD stages rally in city


BHUBANESWAR: Following the serial demonstrations at Damanjodi and Angul plants of Nalco on September 24 and 26 respectively, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Friday staged demonstration in front of the Nalco office here protesting the Central Government’s decision to sell off 12.15 per cent stake of the Navratna Company, bringing down its share to 75 per cent.

Hundreds of workers and supporters of BJD joined by employees of Nalco came in a procession flaunting placards and chanting slogans against the Central Government and staged demonstrations in front of the company office demanding immediate rollback of the divestment decision.

Elected representatives of the BJD, including local MLA Ashok Panda, Bijay Kumar Mohanty, Deputy Chief Whip of the party Sanjay Dasburma, Narendra Swain and other MLAs condemned the Centre’s decision, which they described as anti-Nalco and anti-Odisha.

Addressing the gathering of protesters, the leaders urged the Centre to revoke the decision. They said the protest against the Nalco disinvestment move would continue till the demands are met.

It may be noted that the BJD leaders had decided to hold demonstrations, rallies and dharnas protesting the UPA Government’s decision to sell off Nalco’s share. The leaders had staged Nalco’s refinery unit at Damanjodi and Angul plant.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

State Advisory Council on education yet to come up in State: NCE


--strengthening of RTE implementation in State demanded

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the National Coalition for Education (NCE) on Thursday alleged that the State Advisory Council on Education, the body which would help in effective implementation of Right to Education (RTE) provisions in the State, has not formed yet.

NEC State Advocacy Coordinator Naba Kishor Pujari at a Press meet here said that almost three years have passed from the enforcement of RTE Act in the State, but there are bottlenecks in its implementation which is yet to be strengthened immediately to progress in the field of RTE. “Though Odisha is the second State to enact the State RTE rules, still, many of the RTE-progressive parameters are not yet sorted out,” Pujari added.

Pujari said the deadline for fulfilling all norms and requirements under RTE Act is March 31, 2013, but it is seen as hardly achievable for the State according to the existing growth record. The State Government has agreed to install 105 schools under PPP mode in the State run by the corporate houses would not be accepted at any cost in a case where RTE Act is implemented, he rued.

Another problem is, according to the NEC member, recruitment of contractual teachers instead of regular which affects the RTE Act 2009. Around 10 per cent schools of the State have a single school teacher which is also affecting the proper implementation of the Act, he added.

CM urges Centre to include 4 more cities under RAY


BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja urged to include another four cities Baleswar, Jeypore, Jharsuguda and Jajpur under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY).

Patanik said the State Government is fully committed to making the State slum-free and has formulated a comprehensive policy for the purpose. He further added in his letter that six cities of the State Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Brahmapur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Puri are at present covered under the RAY.

So far two pilot projects at Rangamatia and Mahisakhal slums in the capital city have been sanctioned and a few more are in the process of submission, said Patnaik. “Owing to the rapid economic growth and urbanisation of the State, it is essential to expand the coverage under RAY by inclusion of new cities,” he mentioned in his letter.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly


United Nations Headquarters

NEW YORK: Mr President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman:  I would like to begin today by telling you about an American named Chris Stevens.
Chris was born in a town called Grass Valley, California, the son of a lawyer and a musician.  As a young man, Chris joined the Peace Corps, and taught English in Morocco.  And he came to love and respect the people of North Africa and the Middle East. He would carry that commitment throughout his life.  As a diplomat, he worked from Egypt to Syria, from Saudi Arabia to Libya.  He was known for walking the streets of the cities where he worked -- tasting the local food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking Arabic, listening with a broad smile.

Chris went to Benghazi in the early days of the Libyan revolution, arriving on a cargo ship.  As America’s representative, he helped the Libyan people as they coped with violent conflict, cared for the wounded, and crafted a vision for the future in which the rights of all Libyans would be respected. And after the revolution, he supported the birth of a new democracy, as Libyans held elections, and built new institutions, and began to move forward after decades of dictatorship.

Chris Stevens loved his work.  He took pride in the country he served, and he saw dignity in the people that he met.  And two weeks ago, he traveled to Benghazi to review plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize a hospital.  That’s when America’s compound came under attack.  Along with three of his colleagues, Chris was killed in the city that he helped to save. He was 52 years old.

I tell you this story because Chris Stevens embodied the best of America.  Like his fellow Foreign Service officers, he built bridges across oceans and cultures, and was deeply invested in the international cooperation that the United Nations represents.  He acted with humility, but he also stood up for a set of principles -- a belief that individuals should be free to determine their own destiny, and live with liberty, dignity, justice, and opportunity.

The attacks on the civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America.  We are grateful for the assistance we received from the Libyan government and from the Libyan people.  There should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice.  And I also appreciate that in recent days, the leaders of other countries in the region -- including Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen -- have taken steps to secure our diplomatic facilities, and called for calm.  And so have religious authorities around the globe.

But understand, the attacks of the last two weeks are not simply an assault on America.  They are also an assault on the very ideals upon which the United Nations was founded -- the notion that people can resolve their differences peacefully; that diplomacy can take the place of war; that in an interdependent world, all of us have a stake in working towards greater opportunity and security for our citizens.

If we are serious about upholding these ideals, it will not be enough to put more guards in front of an embassy, or to put out statements of regret and wait for the outrage to pass.  If we are serious about these ideals, we must speak honestly about the deeper causes of the crisis -- because we face a choice between the forces that would drive us apart and the hopes that we hold in common.
Today, we must reaffirm that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens -- and not by his killers.  Today, we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United Nations.
It has been less than two years since a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to protest the oppressive corruption in his country, and sparked what became known as the Arab Spring.  And since then, the world has been captivated by the transformation that’s taken place, and the United States has supported the forces of change.

We were inspired by the Tunisian protests that toppled a dictator, because we recognized our own beliefs in the aspiration of men and women who took to the streets.

We insisted on change in Egypt, because our support for democracy ultimately put us on the side of the people.
We supported a transition of leadership in Yemen, because the interests of the people were no longer being served by a corrupt status quo.
We intervened in Libya alongside a broad coalition, and with the mandate of the United Nations Security Council, because we had the ability to stop the slaughter of innocents, and because we believed that the aspirations of the people were more powerful than a tyrant.
And as we meet here, we again declare that the regime of Bashar al-Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian people can stop and a new dawn can begin.

We have taken these positions because we believe that freedom and self-determination are not unique to one culture.  These are not simply American values or Western values -- they are universal values.  And even as there will be huge challenges to come with a transition to democracy, I am convinced that ultimately government of the people, by the people, and for the people is more likely to bring about the stability, prosperity, and individual opportunity that serve as a basis for peace in our world.

So let us remember that this is a season of progress.  For the first time in decades, Tunisians, Egyptians and Libyans voted for new leaders in elections that were credible, competitive, and fair.  This democratic spirit has not been restricted to the Arab world.  Over the past year, we’ve seen peaceful transitions of power in Malawi and Senegal, and a new President in Somalia.  In Burma, a President has freed political prisoners and opened a closed society, a courageous dissident has been elected to parliament, and people look forward to further reform.  Around the globe, people are making their voices heard, insisting on their innate dignity, and the right to determine their future.

And yet the turmoil of recent weeks reminds us that the path to democracy does not end with the casting of a ballot.  Nelson Mandela once said:  "To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."  (Applause.)
True democracy demands that citizens cannot be thrown in jail because of what they believe, and that businesses can be opened without paying a bribe.  It depends on the freedom of citizens to speak their minds and assemble without fear, and on the rule of law and due process that guarantees the rights of all people.
In other words, true democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work.  Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissidents.  In hard economic times, countries must be tempted -- may be tempted to rally the people around perceived enemies, at home and abroad, rather than focusing on the painstaking work of reform.

Moreover, there will always be those that reject human progress -- dictators who cling to power, corrupt interests that depend on the status quo, and extremists who fan the flames of hate and division.  From Northern Ireland to South Asia, from Africa to the Americas, from the Balkans to the Pacific Rim, we’ve witnessed convulsions that can accompany transitions to a new political order.

At time, the conflicts arise along the fault lines of race or tribe.  And often they arise from the difficulties of reconciling tradition and faith with the diversity and interdependence of the modern world.  In every country, there are those who find different religious beliefs threatening; in every culture, those who love freedom for themselves must ask themselves how much they’re willing to tolerate freedom for others.

That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world.  Now, I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity.

It is an insult not only to Muslims, but to America as well -- for as the city outside these walls makes clear, we are a country that has welcomed people of every race and every faith.  We are home to Muslims who worship across our country.  We not only respect the freedom of religion, we have laws that protect individuals from being harmed because of how they look or what they believe.  We understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them.

I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video.  And the answer is enshrined in our laws:  Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech.

Here in the United States, countless publications provoke offense.  Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs.  As President of our country and Commander-in-Chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day -- (laughter) -- and I will always defend their right to do so.  (Applause.)

Americans have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their views, even views that we profoundly disagree with.  We do not do so because we support hateful speech, but because our founders understood that without such protections, the capacity of each individual to express their own views and practice their own faith may be threatened.  We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can quickly become a tool to silence critics and oppress minorities.

We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression; it is more speech -- the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.

Now, I know that not all countries in this body share this particular understanding of the protection of free speech.  We recognize that.  But in 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete.  The question, then, is how do we respond?

And on this we must agree:  There is no speech that justifies mindless violence.  (Applause.)  There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents.  There's no video that justifies an attack on an embassy.  There's no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan.

In this modern world with modern technologies, for us to respond in that way to hateful speech empowers any individual who engages in such speech to create chaos around the world.  We empower the worst of us if that’s how we respond.

More broadly, the events of the last two weeks also speak to the need for all of us to honestly address the tensions between the West and the Arab world that is moving towards democracy.

Now, let me be clear:  Just as we cannot solve every problem in the world, the United States has not and will not seek to dictate the outcome of democratic transitions abroad.  We do not expect other nations to agree with us on every issue, nor do we assume that the violence of the past weeks or the hateful speech by some individuals represent the views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims, any more than the views of the people who produced this video represents those of Americans.  However, I do believe that it is the obligation of all leaders in all countries to speak out forcefully against violence and extremism.  (Applause.)

It is time to marginalize those who -- even when not directly resorting to violence -- use hatred of America, or the West, or Israel, as the central organizing principle of politics. For that only gives cover, and sometimes makes an excuse, for those who do resort to violence.

That brand of politics -- one that pits East against West, and South against North, Muslims against Christians and Hindu and Jews -- can’t deliver on the promise of freedom.  To the youth, it offers only false hope.  Burning an American flag does nothing to provide a child an education.  Smashing apart a restaurant does not fill an empty stomach.  Attacking an embassy won’t create a single job.  That brand of politics only makes it harder to achieve what we must do together:  educating our children, and creating the opportunities that they deserve; protecting human rights, and extending democracy’s promise.

Understand America will never retreat from the world.  We will bring justice to those who harm our citizens and our friends, and we will stand with our allies.  We are willing to partner with countries around the world to deepen ties of trade and investment, and science and technology, energy and development -- all efforts that can spark economic growth for all our people and stabilize democratic change.

But such efforts depend on a spirit of mutual interest and mutual respect.  No government or company, no school or NGO will be confident working in a country where its people are endangered.  For partnerships to be effective our citizens must be secure and our efforts must be welcomed.

A politics based only on anger -- one based on dividing the world between "us" and "them" -- not only sets back international cooperation, it ultimately undermines those who tolerate it.  All of us have an interest in standing up to these forces.

Let us remember that Muslims have suffered the most at the hands of extremism.  On the same day our civilians were killed in Benghazi, a Turkish police officer was murdered in Istanbul only days before his wedding; more than 10 Yemenis were killed in a car bomb in Sana’a; several Afghan children were mourned by their parents just days after they were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul.

The impulse towards intolerance and violence may initially be focused on the West, but over time it cannot be contained.  The same impulses toward extremism are used to justify war between Sunni and Shia, between tribes and clans.  It leads not to strength and prosperity but to chaos.  In less than two years, we have seen largely peaceful protests bring more change to Muslim-majority countries than a decade of violence.  And extremists understand this.  Because they have nothing to offer to improve the lives of people, violence is their only way to stay relevant.  They don’t build; they only destroy.

It is time to leave the call of violence and the politics of division behind.  On so many issues, we face a choice between the promise of the future, or the prisons of the past.  And we cannot afford to get it wrong.  We must seize this moment.  And America stands ready to work with all who are willing to embrace a better future.
The future must not belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt -- it must be claimed by those in Tahrir Square who chanted, "Muslims, Christians, we are one."  The future must not belong to those who bully women -- it must be shaped by girls who go to school, and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons.  (Applause.)

The future must not belong to those corrupt few who steal a country’s resources -- it must be won by the students and entrepreneurs, the workers and business owners who seek a broader prosperity for all people.  Those are the women and men that America stands with; theirs is the vision we will support.

The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.  But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied.  (Applause.)

Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims and Shiite pilgrims.  It’s time to heed the words of Gandhi:  "Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit."  (Applause.)  Together, we must work towards a world where we are strengthened by our differences, and not defined by them.  That is what America embodies, that’s the vision we will support.

Among Israelis and Palestinians, the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on a prospect of peace.  Let us leave behind those who thrive on conflict, those who reject the right of Israel to exist.  The road is hard, but the destination is clear -- a secure, Jewish state of Israel and an independent, prosperous Palestine.  (Applause.)  Understanding that such a peace must come through a just agreement between the parties, America will walk alongside all who are prepared to make that journey.

In Syria, the future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people.  If there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world today, peaceful protest, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings.  And we must remain engaged to assure that what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence.

Together, we must stand with those Syrians who believe in a different vision -- a Syria that is united and inclusive, where children don’t need to fear their own government, and all Syrians have a say in how they are governed -- Sunnis and Alawites, Kurds and Christians.  That’s what America stands for.  That is the outcome that we will work for -- with sanctions and consequences for those who persecute, and assistance and support for those who work for this common good.  Because we believe that the Syrians who embrace this vision will have the strength and the legitimacy to lead.

In Iran, we see where the path of a violent and unaccountable ideology leads.  The Iranian people have a remarkable and ancient history, and many Iranians wish to enjoy peace and prosperity alongside their neighbors.  But just as it restricts the rights of its own people, the Iranian government continues to prop up a dictator in Damascus and supports terrorist groups abroad.  Time and again, it has failed to take the opportunity to demonstrate that its nuclear program is peaceful, and to meet its obligations to the United Nations.

So let me be clear.  America wants to resolve this issue through diplomacy, and we believe that there is still time and space to do so.  But that time is not unlimited.  We respect the right of nations to access peaceful nuclear power, but one of the purposes of the United Nations is to see that we harness that power for peace.  And make no mistake, a nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained.  It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations, and the stability of the global economy.  It risks triggering a nuclear-arms race in the region, and the unraveling of the non-proliferation treaty.  That’s why a coalition of countries is holding the Iranian government accountable.  And that’s why the United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

We know from painful experience that the path to security and prosperity does not lie outside the boundaries of international law and respect for human rights.  That’s why this institution was established from the rubble of conflict.  That is why liberty triumphed over tyranny in the Cold War.  And that is the lesson of the last two decades as well.

History shows that peace and progress come to those who make the right choices.  Nations in every part of the world have traveled this difficult path.  Europe, the bloodiest battlefield of the 20th century, is united, free and at peace.  From Brazil to South Africa, from Turkey to South Korea, from India to Indonesia, people of different races, religions, and traditions have lifted millions out of poverty, while respecting the rights of their citizens and meeting their responsibilities as nations.

And it is because of the progress that I’ve witnessed in my own lifetime, the progress that I’ve witnessed after nearly four years as President, that I remain ever hopeful about the world that we live in.  The war in Iraq is over.  American troops have come home.  We’ve begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014.  Al Qaeda has been weakened, and Osama bin Laden is no more.  Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals.  We have seen hard choices made -- from Naypyidaw to Cairo to Abidjan -- to put more power in the hands of citizens.

At a time of economic challenge, the world has come together to broaden prosperity.  Through the G20, we have partnered with emerging countries to keep the world on the path of recovery.  America has pursued a development agenda that fuels growth and breaks dependency, and worked with African leaders to help them feed their nations.  New partnerships have been forged to combat corruption and promote government that is open and transparent, and new commitments have been made through the Equal Futures Partnership to ensure that women and girls can fully participate in politics and pursue opportunity.  And later today, I will discuss our efforts to combat the scourge of human trafficking.
All these things give me hope.  But what gives me the most hope is not the actions of us, not the actions of leaders -- it is the people that I’ve seen.  The American troops who have risked their lives and sacrificed their limbs for strangers half a world away; the students in Jakarta or Seoul who are eager to use their knowledge to benefit mankind; the faces in a square in Prague or a parliament in Ghana who see democracy giving voice to their aspirations; the young people in the favelas of Rio and the schools of Mumbai whose eyes shine with promise.  These men, women, and children of every race and every faith remind me that for every angry mob that gets shown on television, there are billions around the world who share similar hopes and dreams.  They tell us that there is a common heartbeat to humanity.

So much attention in our world turns to what divides us.  That’s what we see on the news.  That's what consumes our political debates.  But when you strip it all away, people everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny; the dignity that comes with work; the comfort that comes with faith; and the justice that exists when governments serve their people  -- and not the other way around.

The United States of America will always stand up for these aspirations, for our own people and for people all across the world.  That was our founding purpose.  That is what our history shows.  That is what Chris Stevens worked for throughout his life.

And I promise you this:  Long after the killers are brought to justice, Chris Stevens’s legacy will live on in the lives that he touched -- in the tens of thousands who marched against violence through the streets of Benghazi; in the Libyans who changed their Facebook photo to one of Chris; in the signs that read, simply, "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans."

They should give us hope.  They should remind us that so long as we work for it, justice will be done, that history is on our side, and that a rising tide of liberty will never be reversed.

State accorded high priority in ensuring gender equity: CM


BHUBANESWAR: “The State has accorded high priority in ensuring gender equity in education, political participation as well as in economic and employment opportunities,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating the colloquium for district collectors on strengthening implementation of Pre Conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 organised by the Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) in association with State Health and Family Welfare Department and UNFPA here on Wednesday.

Patnaik said the patriarchal social framework and a value system based on preference for a son have resulted in discrimination and neglect of the girl child. Further, proliferation and abuse of advanced technologies coupled with social factors such as dowry, concerns with family name and looking upto the son as a bread winner has led to an alarming rise in the practice of female foeticide, he added.

“The practice of sex selection is artificially altering the demographic landscape in our country. The imbalance in the child sex ratio has implications not only for gender justice and gender inequality, but will also result in social violence, thereby impacting human development,” said Patnaik.

The Chief Minister said the status of women in society is a major cause of concern that influences biases against women. To increase the status of women and to make them self-reliant, literate and empower, the State Government has taken initiatives like 50 percent reservation to women in Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies, 33 percent reservation in Government jobs and special incentives to girls for taking up education, he informed the house, adding, the Mission Shakti programme has been a major success in rural Odisha in the socio-economic empowerment of women.

Patnaik appreciating the rise in female literacy rate said the number of out-of-school girls which was 2.61 lakh in 2006-07, has reduced to 35 thousand in 2010-11. For the past nine years, on an average, more than one thousand schools were added per year at both primary and upper primary levels, he added.

“We have a strong PCPNDT Act and I expect the District Magistrates to accord high priority for implementing this Act with a strict vigil on the misuse of technology,” Patnaik said, adding, “The medical colleges and professional bodies have a vital role in sensitising medical students who are the doctors of tomorrow.”

Patnaik said that a convergent action plan needs to be in place wherein the departments of Health, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj and others engage PRIs, Self Help Groups, ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers and youth to jointly work in the pursuit of promoting the value of the girl child. The long-term solution to this problem lies in creating the right environment where sons and daughters are equally valued, he ended.

Gracing the occasion, Odisha High Court Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda said the sex determination trend is prevalent in the urban areas. He advised the district collectors that they should try to achieve and bring change in the attitude of the people towards the issue and that would be achieved by continues practice.

Attending the function, Health and Family Welfare Department Minister Damodar Rout expressed concern about the declining of child sex ratio in the State. “We have committed to eliminate illegal child sex determination from our State,” Rout said.

It may be noted that the State has witnessed a marked decline in child sex ratio from 953 in 2001 to 934 in 2011. The child sex ratio is in alarming state in Nayagarh district having only 851 per 1000 boys in 2011. The Annual Health Survey 2010-11 reports a further alarming picture with more than one third of the districts of the State having sex ratio at birth of less than 900.

The State so far has only 27 cases registered under the PCPNDT Act and three doctors convicted for violators. But in the last one year monitoring has been strengthened and 21 ultrasound units sealed and 10 cases filed in the court of law in the State.

Among others, Judge of Odisha High Court and Executive Chairman of OSLSA Justice BP Das, UNFPA India Representative Frederika Maijer, Health Secretary Pradeep Mahapatra and district collectors were present.

Police jurisdiction row delays recovering of body in city


BHUBANESWAR: Due to confusion in identifying the police jurisdiction on the borderline of the two police stations on the outskirts of the city, a body of a student, who drowned in the Daya River on Monday, was laid abandoned for hours after recovering that on Wednesday.

On Monday, Biswaranjan and his other three friends went to the Daya River for taking bath, meanwhile Biswaranjan drowned in the river. His body was recovered from Takarpada ghat, 5 km away from the place where they were taking bath.

After recovering the body, the local people informed the police to take the body, but the police were in doubt whether the place was coming under Pipili PS or Lingaraj PS limit or not. After hours of delay, the Lingaraj police station officials came and took the body.        
  

UTP death in Jharpada jail: probe ordered


BHUBANESWAR: Following the death of an Under Trial Prisoner (UTP) at Jharpada jail here on Tuesday, the Inspector General (IG) of Prisons on Wednesday directed an official of a DIG cadre to investigate into the matter. The investigating officer was asked to submit the probe report within one day, while the magistrate-level inquiry has already been started into the case.

The UTP was identified as Laxmidhar Nanda of Birapratappur village in Puri district. According to sources, he was taken to jail custody after Excise Intelligence and Establishment Bureau arrested him on September 14. When he fell ill on September 16, the jail authorities treated him at the jail hospital. Later, he was shifted to Capital hospital on Tuesday after his health condition deteriorated. However, doctors declared him dead on the day.

After getting information about the death of Nanda from the jail authorities, his family members on Wednesday alleged that he was murdered intentionally. They questioned that why the jail authorities kept them in dark about the health condition of Nanda and what compelled the authorities to not inform about him while he was undergoing treatment at the hospital. 

Police started investigation in to the matter after registering a case of unnatural death. Bhubaneswar DCP Niteenjit Singh wrote to Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate seeking a judicial probe in to the issue. On the other hand, Jail IG SS Hansda said, “If involvement of any jail staff comes to our notice, we will take action against them also.”


18th Int’l Puri Beach Festival to begin from Nov 23


BHUBANESWAR: The 18th International Puri Beach Festival would begin from November 23. This was decided at a high-level meeting presided by Tourism and Culture Minister Maheswar Mohanty at the Secretariat here on Tuesday.

The seven-day long festival would hold important exhibition, food stalls, beach sports, special boat race among local fishermen, sand art show, Helium Balloon Ride, Kite fly show, Camel Ride and Horse ride on the Beach, Meena bazaar and merry go-round, Bhagabat Katha discourse will be organised like last year.

Mohanty said the festival would attract the domestic and foreign tourists. It is a brand festival of the State for the past 17 years without change of date, time and venue. Mahodadhi National Award, Mahodadhi Samman and Mahodadhi Manapatra award will be given to the important personalities for their contribution to the society, he informed.

Tourism and Culture secretary Ashok Kumar Tripathy said that Odisha tourism has declared this year as ‘Visit Odisha Year-2012’ and special publicity will be made for International Puri Beach Festival-2012 in all publicity materials both by Odisha tourism and India tourism.

‘A language relevant education is a right of tribal children’


BHUBANESWAR: “A language relevant education is a right of tribal children” says Odisha Adivasi Manch’s state Convener Shri Ido Mandal. Odisha Adivasi Manch (OAM) today called for a state level consultation on Mother Tongue based Multilingual Early Childhood Education in tribal areas of Odisha. Representatives from 22 tribal dominated districts participated in it.OAM which had been lobbying for Forest Rights and PESA in the past has taken up the issue of education of young tribal children as their foremost demand currently. “Tribal children are scared of schools and this fear is because children are not being interacted in their mother tongue in the Anganwadi centres ; a mother tongue based early childhood education will give our children a stronger foundation and curtail the high dropout rate in later stages of education . ” added district Convenor Ms. Bidulata  Huika from Rayagada.

While OAM member Ms. Veronica Dung Dung from Sundergarh stated “Blaming the current Anganwadi system is not the solution; we have to initiate the change by bringing in a mother tongue based pre-school education for our children”. OAM which had started its advocacy on ECE in mother tongue in ten districts is spreading its operation to twelve more tribal districts in Odisha. The consultation was a platform for OAM members to share their field based evidences on the current state of education in the Anganwadis and discuss on how to influence policy makers through the post card campaigns and sensitization workshops.

OAM has been demanding for inclusion of a separate chapter in the draft policy on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) by Government of India, a state policy on mother tongue based preschool in tribal areas, appointment of tribal angawandi workers and relaxation of eligibility criteria; proper infrastructure, culture appropriate curriculum and all mini anganwadis to get status of anganwadis.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates water treatment plant for Brahmapur


--lays foundation stone for water supply project in city

BRAHMAPUR: Within a short span of time, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid foundation stones for water supply projects for Brahmapur city and inaugurated a water treatment plant here on Tuesday during a quick visit to the city.

Patnaik first laid foundation stones for the construction of water over tanks at Ankuli, Khodasingi and Lanjipalli in the city. He then laid the foundation stone for the modernisation of NH-59 at the UCP Engineering School road and then laid the foundation stone at Utkal Ashram Road for restoration of the water pipeline which supply water to the area.

Patnaik went Dakhinapur on the outskirts of the city to inaugurate water treatment plant phase-II which would supply 20 million litres water more than the existed phase-I. The phase-I was able to supply only 30 mlt of water. Now the total 50 mlt of water can solve the water problems of the city dwellers.         


No conviction made under section 498-A within 15 yrs: study


BHUBANESWAR: A study recently conducted by a human rights organisation the Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP) with the support of Oxfam India under the title Legal Protection of Women reveals that over last 15-years there was no conviction under IPC Section 498-A, a penal law to protect women from cruelty within marriage, except for one case where the punishment has been reduced without any imprisonment.

In a meeting organised by the Institute for Social Development (ISD), an organisation advocates for violence free lives for women, the study report was released by State Commission for Women chairperson Dr Jyoti Panigrahi here on Tuesday. The report revealed that no one has undergone imprisonment as a result of conviction under section 498-A.

The findings of the study stated that less number of cases went for conviction orders by the trial court, conviction orders by trial courts with parties allowed with a reduced punishment, 90 per cent of the cases are quashed due to sack of evidence, acquittal order given importance, no punitive action has been taken and compromise/divorce made in course of hearing and pendency.

The data furnished by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) relating to the conviction rate of different types of crimes committed against women for the year 2010, the rate of conviction remains lower in the State as compared to all India level. For instance, the conviction rate for cruelty by husband and relatives (crimes U/S 498-A of IPC) is 8.7 per cent in Odisha as compared to 19 per cent at the all India level.

Bikash Das, who has led the study on behalf of CLAP, said the life and liberty of women are of paramount consideration to realise women’s human right. The State has the responsibility and obligation towards its subjects to secure justice for them and prevent injustice, he added.

Among others, former police DG Sarat Mishra, State Social Welfare Board chairperson Sulata Deo, women journalist Manorama Mohapatra and Regional Manager Oxfam India Shaik Anwar were present during the discussion.

CPI demands suitable price for dairy farmers


BHUBANESWAR: Odisha State Council of the Communist Party of India (CPI) demanded that the State Government to keep the milk price stable by providing subsidy to the consumers and suitable price to dairy farmers of the State.

Milk is a very essential product for the patients, pregnant women and children, but the hike in milk price would affect them, said CPI State secretary Divakar Nayak in a press release on Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Government should think about the milk producers who supply milk to one crore consumers in the State, Nayak said. For the growth of the milk producers, the State Government should avail facilities in time, he added.    
  

Rourkela Commercial tax chief dies of dengue


--Dengue death toll rises to 6 in State, Ganjam worst affected 

BHUBANESWAR/ROURKELA: The dengue death toll in the State rose to six on Tuesday following the death of a senior tax official of Odisha Government and the total number of affected people crossed the 600 bar. The dengue victim, who died in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, was identified as Sudhansu Shekhar Nanda working as Deputy Commissioner, Commercial Tax in Circle-I, Rourkela.

According to sources, Nanda fell ill last week. After being suspected of dengue by a local doctor, he was admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar and due to failure of multiple organs he died. His family sources said Nanda’s death due to dengue. It is to be mentioned here that though Nanda is a senior officer of the State Government and both his office and residence is in very proximity to Rourkela Municipality, the Municipality health officer has no information in this regard.

On the other hand, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Damodar Rout said Nanda not died in dengue. “He was suffering from chronic diabetes and died in hypertension in a private hospital,” said Rout.

It may be noted that the number of dengue positive cases is on the rise in the State. On Tuesday, the dengue positive cases touched 600. Out of the total positive cases, Ganjam has the highest number of 270 patients. Among other dengue-prone districts, Baleswar has reported 178 positive cases, Angul 53, Bhadrak 17, Jajpur 13 and Khurda 10, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme sources said.

Ironically, dengue positive cases in the city are also on the rise. It is to be mentioned here that besides others two noted doctors, one political leader of the city are found suffering from dengue. Earlier in last here the Rourkela Municipality Executive Officer himself was affected in the same vector-borne disease dengue. From this it is well ascertain how the Rourkela Municipality is exercising to keep its area clean, the locals rued.