Say NO to Smoking, tobacco

World No Tobacco Day being observed around the world today (May 31) is intended to encourage  abstinence from all forms of  tobacco consumption across the globe. The day is further intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects  which currently lead to 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually.

Notwithstanding all kinds of awareness campaigns both at the national and global level, tobacco continues to inflict huge damage on the health of India's people and could be clocking up a death toll of 1.5 million a year by 2020 if more users are not persuaded to kick the habit, according to an international report. Worldwide, the number of deaths caused by tobacco is expected to rise from around 6 million a year now to more than 8 million by 2030, according to the World Health Organisation.
Ironically despite having signed up to a global treaty on tobacco control and having numerous anti-tobacco and smoke-free laws, our country is failing to implement them effectively, leaving its people vulnerable to addiction and ill health, according to the report by the International Tobacco Control Project (ITCP).

If the consumption of tobacco continued at its present pace, one billion people will be killed in this century because of tobacco. As far as Indian is concerned, there are 27.5cr tobacco users, that is, every third Indian adult uses some form of tobacco, which is responsible for  nearly 50% cancers in India.

As per WHO, about 10 lakh Indians die from tobacco-related diseases each year. This epidemic kills more people than tuberculosis, accidents, homicides, suicide, AIDS and malaria combined. Moreover, the kind of revenue the government earns from tobacco is significantly less than the loss from tobacco in form of death, disability and diseases.

The ITPC report said that, while India has been a regional leader in enacting tobacco control legislation over the past 10 years, the laws are poorly enforced, regulations covering smoke-free zones are patchy, and tobacco remains relatively cheap. Besides, initiatives being taken at the government level in the country to curb use of tobacco, a concerted efforts need to be taken at individual-level to quit consumption of tobacco in any form and abstain from smoking, failing which the day is not far away when more and more people will get afflicted to non-curable tobacco related diseases.

On  World No-Tobacco Day today, let us take a pledge to say no to `smoking and tobacco' to prevent recurrences of death caused by tobacco and smoking related diseases in our country.

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Veer Savarkar Jayanti

Veer Savarkar Jayanti is being celebrated all over India today in commemoration of Vinayak Damodar “Veer” Savarkar. One of India's greatest freedom fighters, Savarkar is known for performing multiple activities for the development of Hindu community across the country. The great Marathi legend had advocated towards the abolishment of caste system and had requested for the reconversion of those Hindus who accepted other religions. 

Born in Bhagur of Nasik district in Maharashtra on May 28, Savarkar is credited for coining the term “Hindutva” reflecting the kind of intensity with which he used to represent his life. Savarkar had become an icon after he advocated for five distinctive features of his philosophy in the form of Utilitarianism, Rationalism and Positivism, Humanism and Universalism, Pragmatism and Realism. On his Jayanti today, let us all emulate the noble ideologies, he stood for in his life.

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World Schizophrenia Day today

According to studies, one per cent of the population suffers from schizophrenia, a disease that causes delusions and hallucinations to the patient. If treated, 50 per cent of patients can lead normal lives, while the remaining 50 per cent will need family support. If left untreated, the patient may even commit suicide or go missing and eventually die of malnutrition or dehydration. 

The Prevalence Rate for schizophrenia is approximately 1.1% of the population over the age of 18  or, in other words, at any one time as many as 51 million people worldwide suffer from schizophrenia, including 6 to 12 million people in China (a rough estimate based on the population), 4.3 to 8.7 million people in India (a rough estimate based on the population),2.2 million people in USA,285,000 people in Australia, Over 280,000 people in Canada and over 250,000 diagnosed cases in Britain. In India, the prevalence of schizophrenia is about 3/1000 individuals.  These are facts that not many people know. 

Psychiatrists and psychologists across the globe observe May 24 as World Schizophrenia Day mainly to promote awareness about the disease.  There are a number of factors that influence stigma in schizophrenia and it is important to understand them to successfully treat the illness. Though our country has several self-help  and support groups working towards removing the myths and misconceptions related to schizophrenia, more such organizations need to come on the forefront to create an awareness about the disease  for its early diagnosis and treatment.

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Let’s not be murderers of our own flesh and blood

It may sound bizarre but this is a fact that eligible bachelors in Haryana have to travel thousands of kms across the length and breadth of the country to find suitable brides for themselves. The reasons are not far to seek. Skewed sex ratio and penchant for male child have led to atrocious decline in  population of girls in Haryana and Punjab. With ratio of girl child per one thousand male child in Punjab and Haryana being the lowest in the country, boys in  these states have been left with        very little choice to     select brides for them in their home state. As a result of this, eligible bachelors in Haryana can been seen cross-crossing the country in `hunt for a suitable bride.

Skewed Sex Ratio

Haryana and Punjab are not isolated cases which are facing the problem of skewed  sex ratio, in fact this problem has moved beyond the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. If  statistics are taken into account, in India,the number of girls per 1000 boys is declining with each passing decade. From 962 and 945 girls for every 1000 boys in the years 1981 and 1991 respectively, the sex ratio had plummeted to an all time low of 927 girls for 1000 boys in 2001, while as per 2011 census,  the sex ratio had further nosedived to only 914 girls for 1000 boys in 2011. 

Illegal trafficking of women

Skewed sex ratio is one of the major reasons for increasing incidents of crimes against women and girls in our society. As steep decline in the number of girls makes them scarce for the teaming number of males eligible for marriage. As a solution to this issue, illegal trafficking of women has become commonplace in many regions. 

Increase in Rape and Assault

Once women become an endangered species on account of skewed sex ratio, it is only a matter of time before the instances of rape, assault and violence become widespread. The legal system may offer protection, but as is the situation today, many cases might not even surface for fear of isolation and humiliation on the girl’s part.

Preference for male child 

Like many societies around the world, India too is patriarchal in nature. A set hierarchical system prevails in all tiers of the social order. The fanatic obsession with the male sex, though, is one of a kind. Right from the ancient scriptures, one finds instances where men are glowingly praised as the key to continue the family lineage. A girl is forced to undergo multiple pregnancies and (or) abortions, until she fulfills her lifelong goal of being a breeding machine that produces male offspring as per the needs of the family. Sadly, a majority of female feticide cases involve an enthusiastic participation of women, both old and young.

To add fuel to the fire, unethical sex determination and selective abortion of female infants has become a booming US $224 million industry- a dangerous incentive for this transgression to prosper further in the near future. Bringing about changes in the demand for sex determination is a long process and has to be tackled through women’s education and empowerment including the right to property and land rights.

Though the government on its part has laid out plans  to curb female infanticide, female feticide and selective sex abortion, a cohesive and concerted effort by everyone can prove to be the requisite baby step in the right direction. The basic humane consideration to let an innocent child live and see the world she was conceived to grow in, is not too much to ask. Let’s not be murderers of our own flesh and blood. It is about time we raised our voice and took a stand as every child deserves to live !

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Gopal Krishna Gokhle on his birth anniversary

Gopal Krishna Gokhale, born on May 9, 1866, was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire of India.  His impact on the course of the Indian nationalist movement was very considerable.

Through his close relationship with the highest levels of British imperial government, Gokhale forced India's colonial masters to recognize the capabilities of a new generation of educated Indians and to include them more than ever before in the governing process.

His  firm belief in the need for universal education deeply inspired the next great man on the Indian political stage, Mohandas Karamchand  Gandhi.

The younger generations of the country need to derive inspirations and emulate his virtues in their lives to preserve the hard-earned freedom and integrity of our country. A very rich tributes to  this great social and political reformer on his birth anniversary today…

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