http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050629/asp/guwahati/story_4923320.asp

Spoil the rod
Due to maladministration, accidents and deaths have become a regular feature in schools. Each time an accident occurs or a student dies, the school authorities leave no stone unturned to shirk responsibility. They blame either the carelessness of the student or insist that the student was physically unwell.
The school authorities might fool the public by citing hundreds of excuses to hide their guilt but it cannot be denied that Richmita Bora, a student of Class VI of a city school was slapped by her teacher the day she died.
School is a place for acquiring knowledge. To impart education, it is necessary for teachers to maintain congenial relations with their students.
Richmita’s death should serve as a lesson to all those harsh teachers who use severe punishment as a tool for maintaining so-called discipline in classrooms. .
Parents, too, must be vigilant. They must maintain a good rapport with their children. They must be aware of what happens at their child’s school, the child’s performance and the way he or she is treated by the teachers.
It is high time parents raise their voices against corporal punishment in schools. And as for teachers who are still using rods as a disciplining weapon, I would like to advise them to spoil the rod and spare the child.
Monalisa Biswas,
Guwahati

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050519/asp/northeast/story_4747315.asp

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050519/asp/northeast/story_4747315.asp

Mobile mania
In the fast-paced world of today, mobile phones have become a necessity for most of us. But at the same time, mobile phones have become a curse for society, particularly camera phones. These are intruding into the privacy of individuals.
Mobile phones in the hands of school students pose a serious problem. Dirty jokes sent via SMS or obnoxious pictures sent through MMS are bankrupting society?s future generation morally. Such video clippings are affecting vulnerable young minds. Moreover, the short message service (SMS) is generally used for sending jokes. This, no doubt, is a waste of money.
In today?s society, where crimes and instances of juvenile delinquency are rising at an alarming rate, it is the duty of the parents to prevent their children from going astray. They should not buy mobile phones for schoolchildren. Again, the government should ban the sale of camera phones as they violate privacy.
As in the rest of the country, mobile phone users in the Northeast are often misusing the technology for nefarious activities.
Hopefully, the government will look into the matter and deal with the issue seriously.
Monalisa Biswas,
Guwahati

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050707/asp/guwahati/story_4957920.asp

Brain drain bane
The crucial question is, why are the students moving out of Assam? The answer is simple. The present educational scenario in the state is miserable. Every year anomalies take place in the examinations conducted by the board, the council and even the university.
In degree exams, the number of first class holders is very limited compared to other universities of the country. The first class holders somehow find a way out for themselves. But a second class degree certificate has virtually no value today.
Students from Assam have proved their mettle in several fields in India and abroad. It is unfortunate that in their own state they get neither the opportunity nor the resources to prove themselves.
Scarcity of jobs in Assam is also pushing the students out of the state.
To put an end to the brain drain, the education system of our state should be revamped. The government should at the same time take the initiative to provide a secure future to the students so that they can contribute to the development of the state.
Monalisa Biswas,

Women Judges a better Choice; Vijay Times, 9th August 2006

Women judges a better choice

This refers to the news item, "Can only a woman judge understand rape?" (VT, Aug5).Rape is a heinous crime that can shatter a woman.There are many pending trials involving rape in Bangalore. When it comes to delivering judgement,what matters is fairness.

Gender has nothing to do with delivering justice. Judges are supposed to be impartial. It is wrong to bring up the gender issue in this regard.A woman judge will pass an equivalent judgement on the rapist. As far as the mental state of a rape victim is concerned, she might find it difficult to state each and every fact to a male judge.In such an event, a woman judge seems to be a better choice.

Monalisa Biswas, Bangalore

Friends forever (City Express) The New Indian Express

Friendship is in the air and everyone is set to celebrate it in grandeur.Friendship is a source of joy and satisfaction to all. August 6 is World Friendship Day --the day meant to celebrate friendship. Visit any card shop and you will come across a bunch of gift items specially meant for Friendship Day--cards, friendship bands, soft toys and the like.
Youngsters are found thronging card galleries, selecting the best friendship card and the cutest gift for their friends. Says Sakshi, a call centre employee, "I have a big surprise for my best friend this Friendship Day." Sowmya Rao, a student who was seen buying a giant sized teddy-bear asserts, "My friend makes me feel so special throughout the year, so I want to make friendship day special for her."
Other than gifts, trendy friendship bands have also caught the fancy of youngsters. Simi Hegde, who was choosing friendship bands for her friend opines, "I think friendship bands make the best gift because every time your eyes fall on your wrist, it reminds you of your friend.
For those with long-distance friends, e-cards are the way to go. Rahul Banerjee, a software engineer says, "I have friends in every nook and corner of the world and I am going to wish them through e-cards.
PUC students Geetha, Shubha, Amrutha, Somesh and John are planning grand celebration. "We are going to a grand party at a restaurant with all our friends on this friendship day,"they said. Akash Kumar, a student, also has similar plans."We have decided to go for a long drive and dine in a good restaurant," he said.
While many are having a tough time selecting gifts for their friends, there are some who feel that friendship needs no celebration. Says Harish, a businessman,"Each day spent with friends is a kind of celebration. So we do not need a special day to celebrate it." Uma P, a home maker agrees,"My friend is special to me and I don't need to buy her a gift to express to her that we are best friends," says she.
A senior citizen, Prakash G, says, "During our times,there was no special day meant for celebrating friendship.This trend is a new one and it is good to see friends getting together to celebrate friendship once every year."
Even in today's fast paced life, where many people do not get time for their kith and kin, it is good to see people taking time off to celebrate friendship.
So even if you weren't planning an elaborate party for your friends, simply by picking up that phone and give them a call.They will appreciate it.

Monalisa Biswas,
Bangalore

Welcome Move, Letters The New Indian Express, August 5, 2006

Sir, The Central Government has banned child labour in houses, hostels, restaurants, spas and other recreational centres. This is a welcome move by the Central Government, but merely passing a law will not be enough. It should take stringent measures to wipe out evil from society. Those who emply children as servants should be punished severely. Only then will there be no child labour.
Monalisa Biswas
Bangalore

Talents galore at Fashionite'06; City Express; The Indian Express,July24'06

TALENTS GALORE at FASHIONITE'06

Talent, creativity and style, Fashionite'06, a fashion show held to mark the fifth anniversary of the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology on Saturday, had it all.

The show was kicked off with a performance by Shaimak Davar's dance troupe.

B.Vedhagiri, IIFT Director said, " The institute started with only four students in 2001 and today it has about 200 students.IIFT is creating a plztform for budding fashion designers. Here students are not confined only to academics, but are also trained in entrepreneurial strategies. They are creating waves and have won a number of prizes at National-level competitions.

The slogan of Fashionite'06 was 'Save the Planet.' Awards in various categories were given away to budding designers. The themes for the Best Creativity category included Dolphin--inspired by the friendliness of dolphins.Chili--inspired by its color and spiciness.Other themes in this category were Lightening, Bamboo, Cactus, Feather, Angel, Eyes, Starfish, Perception and Taj Mahal.

Designer Pavithra walked away with the award for her 'Bamboo' theme.

The second category of awards was for 'Best Theme'. The themes displayed in this round were Kuvempu, Krishna, Hoysala, Meerabai, Magnet, Road, and Tsunami---inspired by its mighty waves, speed and force; and Newspaper ---inspired by its quality of information. The award for the 'Best Theme' was bagged by Saurabh for his theme ' Magnet.'

The other sequence of awards were for 'Best Accessory,' 'Best Technical Outfit' and 'Overall Best Award for Best Costume.' The overall Best Award for Best Costume.' The Overall Best Award went to Taskin Taj for her theme 'Soil.' The costumes designed by the designers were displayed by leading models of Bangalore.

Azeezullah Baig, MD, Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation, said, "The budding designers of IIFT have excelled in their designs, presentations, contemporary outlookand choice of fabric."

The last round was dedicated to Lord Krishna where models turned out in 'Gopi' outfit s. The bright colours and designs used in the costumes stood out. This was immediately followed by Bohemian Rhapsody or free flowing fabric sequence. The scintillating dance performance by Shiamak Davar's troupe, that included salsa and Indo- jazz dance forms, were impressive.

Monalisa Biswas & Richa Gaur

Parents cite reasons for pressurising kids (City Express-The New Indian Express, July 8, 200)

At an interactive session organised to discuss the issue of parental pressure on children in Bangalore on Thursday- "If parents are forcing kids on what to be"-the reaction of the audience was anything but unanimous.

Organised by Oxford Bookstore & Mattel Toys in collaboration with Radio City, the session hosted by Radio City RJ Vasanthi Hariprakash, threw up questions on whether parents were pushing too much burden on children and robbing them off their childhood by making them concentrate only on studies.

A number of parents, especially mothers turned up along with their children at the session.Some parents honestly confessed that they do force their children to focus on the career chosen by their elder siblings ignoring the interest of the younger one.

Sabira, a children's coordinator said,"Though my daughter fares well in other activities, apart from studies,I would like to push her a bit so that she excels in everything she does."

When the audience were faced with a question as to whether the children do have a right to "not to do anything", pat came a reply from a woman sitting with her little daughter, "In today's world of tough competition you cannot allow your child to do that.Children love to laze around but as concerned parents we can't let them waste their time."

Another mother was heard saying, "We want the best for them and hence we want them to get exposed to everything right from now so that they can face the world boldly in future."

When it appeared that the discussion was proceeding in a single direction, Leela, a mother said,"Parents are no more the same;they should thrust their opinion and decision on their children.They cannot force them to do anything or everything."

As if to support Leela's argument Trishaala said,"My parents want me to be something in life. But they never force me saying that I should go for engineering or medical studies."

However when the parents were asked whether they forced their children to attend summer camps, the reply came from the children in chorus, "We love summer camps."

The two hour session drew to a close with a dance performance by years old Veda V Bhatt & a magic show by 11 year old conjuror Karun Krishna who enthralled the audience with his sleight of hand.

Monalisa Biswas,

Bangalore

Women Reservation; Letters to the Editor; The Assam Tribune;

Sir,
We always talk about women liberation and empowerment of women. But in this male dominated society of ours, total liberation of women is a far cry.
The Women Reservation Bill , for instance is ample example. The Bill which seeks 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies has not been passed till date. This issue has always been a topic of heated arguments in the sessions of parliament. This Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in the year 1996. A decade is almost over and no steps have been taken so far to pass the Bill. Though the political parties insist that they are very much concerned about the empowerment of Indian women, in reality the feeling of gender bias always exists in their mind.
Women have excelled in various fields and have proved that they are no less than their male counterparts. Then why this discrimination regarding reservation of seats?
Once the Bill is passed, one-third of total seats available in the Parliament would be reserved for women in National as well as State as well as local governments. But many political parties oppose the Bill.
We are living in a democratic country which believes in gender equality.But the delay in passing the Women Reservation Bill reveals that in reality, the male dominated society of ours, still tends to supress the women folk.

Yours etc.,
Monalisa Biswas
Soledevanahalli
Bangalore

Women Reservation (The Assam Tribune; Letters to the Editor) 19th September 2005

We always talk about women liberation & empowerment of women. But in this male dominated society of ours total liberation of women is a far cry.

The Women Reservation Bill, for instance, is ample example. the Bill which seeks 33% reservation for women in Parliament & State assemblies has not been passed till date. This issue has always been the topic of heated arguments in the sessions of Parliament. This Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in the year 1996; a decade is almost over & no steps have bben taken so far to pass the Bill. Though the political parties insist that they are very much concerned about the empowerment ofIndian women, in reality the feeling of gender bias always exists in their mind.

Women have excelled in various fields and have probed that they are no less than their male counterparts.Then why this discrimination regarding reservation of seats?

Once the Bill is passed, 1/3rd of total seats available in the parliament would be reserved for women in national, state and local governments. But many political parties have been opposing the Bill.

We are living in a democratic country which believes in gender equality. But the delay in passing the women reservation Bill reveals that in relaity, the male dominated society of ours still tends to supress the women folk.