WEEKLY DIGEST
#21
17 April – 23 April
Spotlights of The Week
Doctors in a Hurry
Kerala has ordered a probe into alleged ‘mass cesareans’ done at a government hospital at Cherthala in Alappuzha within 48 hours to facilitate the doctors to go on leave for three consecutive days this week.
The hospital has four gynecologists. All of them wanted to go leave for four days this week, starting Thursday. Hence, 21 cesareans were allegedly held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Many of the women had their delivery dates next week. To ensure hassle-free holidays, the cesareans were allegedly clubbed into the two days even though the delivery dates were several days away.
Health Minister P K Sreemathi promised an inquiry. “Due to the avalanche of cesareans, the facilities at the hospital came under pressure. We were forced to evacuate other patients to ensure better care for the mothers and their babies...,” said hospital superintendent Dr Rajendra Prasad.
It is a long weekend this time and everybody wants to maximize the benefits it presents. No question that doctors seldom get a break they deserve. More so in public hospitals. But if that can be held as a reason to put in danger the lives of patients, only GOD can run this country. They must have been aware that not everyone can go on leave and hence they devised an escape plan which put the health of mothers and their babies under serious risks.
Let us hope that the government not only takes appropriate action against the erring doctors but also looks into the root cause of such a drastic step taken by them and finds ways of addressing them.
What should happen to Narendra Modi?
Many senior officers in Police and Administration have testified against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with his role in the 2002 Godhra riots. Latest to speak out is Sanjiv Bhatt, another senior IPS officer. He thus joins the list of those who will be targeted and are being targeted by Modi and his honchos so that they can be silenced. SIT set up by the Apex Court doesn’t seem to be functioning in the impartial mode it is supposed to be. People in power wield a lot of clout and we all know that. If the law is strong enough, these testimonials and affidavits should be good enough to convict him for various heinous crimes he had orchestrated or supported.
We may have a side to pick in the Hindu-Muslim struggle of ideology that has engulfed the nation for so long. Still, when it comes to the breach of law and something as serious as state-sponsored massacre, none should be spared irrespective of their religion and position. Modi should be tried and convicted for what he has done. Nothing more and nothing less.
A fight of ideology should stay there and the moment it is allowed to spill over to the streets it destroys everything that it touches or influences. Civil unrests in almost every other country in the world are examples of not finding and eradicating the root causes of despair between people of different religious beliefs. Whether it is Islam vs. Christianity, Hinduism vs. Islam, Protestants vs. Catholics, Shia vs. Sunni or any other nature of religious strife, there is a common thread that holds all of them and that’s where efforts should be invested to find a way to cohabit peacefully.
I sincerely want some peace in my lifetime. And I want to tell GOD that all is not lost in the world he made and envisaged.
Things to Know
What is an FIR?
First Information Report (FIR) is a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First Information Report. It is generally a complaint lodged with the police by the victim of a cognizable offence or by someone on his/her behalf.
Anyone can report the commission of a cognizable offence either orally or in writing to the police. Even a telephonic message can be treated as an FIR.
A cognizable offence is one in which the police may arrest a person without warrant. They are authorized to start investigation into a cognizable case on their own and do not require any orders from the court to do so. A non-cognizable offence is an offence in which a police officer has no authority to arrest without warrant. The police cannot investigate such an offence without the court's permission
Why is FIR important?
An FIR is a very important document as it sets the process of criminal justice in motion. It is only after the FIR is registered in the police station that the police takes up investigation of the case.
Who can lodge an FIR?
Anyone who knows about the commission of a cognizable offence can file an FIR. It is not necessary that only the victim of the crime should file an FIR. A police officer who comes to know about a cognizable offence can file an FIR himself/herself.
You can file an FIR if:
* You are the person against whom the offence has been committed;
* You know yourself about an offence which has been committed;
* You have seen the offence being committed.
What is the procedure of filing an FIR?
The procedure of filing an FIR is prescribed in Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.
* When information about the commission of a cognizable offence is given orally, the police must write it down.
* It is your right as a person giving information or making a complaint to demand that the information recorded by the police is read over to you.
* Once the information has been recorded by the police, it must be signed by the person giving the information.
* You should sign the report only after verifying that the information recorded by the police is as per the details given by you.
* People who cannot read or write must put their left thumb impression on the document after being satisfied that it is a correct record.
* Always ask for a copy of the FIR, if the police do not give it to you. It is your right to get it free of cost.
What should you mention in the FIR?
* Your name and address;
* Date, time and location of the incident you are reporting;
* The true facts of the incident as they occurred;
* Names and descriptions of the persons involved in the incident;
* Witnesses, if any.
Things you should NOT do
* Never file a false complaint or give wrong information to the police. You can be prosecuted under law for giving wrong information or for misleading the police.
— Section 203, Indian Penal [Code 1860]
—
* Never exaggerate or distort facts.
* Never make vague or unclear statements.
What can you do if your FIR is not registered?
* You can meet the Superintendent of Police or other higher officers like Deputy Inspector General of Police & Inspector General of Police and bring your complaint to their notice.
* You can send your complaint in writing and by post to the Superintendent of Police concerned. If the Superintendent of Police is satisfied with your complaint, he shall either investigate the case himself or order an investigation to be made.
* You can file a private complaint before the court having jurisdiction.
* You can also make a complaint to the State Human Rights Commission or the National Human Rights Commission if the police does nothing to enforce the law or does it in a biased and corrupt manner.
National Radar
Is being rich a crime? What should one do to decorate and garnish one’s riches to suit the public taste? If the richness has resulted from hard work, it is the idea everybody should hop on to. Else, we will remain a poor, developing country. An anecdote below spells out this problem effectively.
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Indian Version:
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter .
Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.
Amnesty International and Kofi Annan criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bengal Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.
Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.
Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'.
Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.
CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.
Many years later...
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley,
100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India,
..AND
As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
……………………………………
India is still a developing country!!!
- Shree Ganesh Arunachalam
Project Leader, Keane India Private Limited
Science Snippet
Mr. K.R.Sridhar, a PhD in mechanical engineering, is a founder and CEO of Bloom Energy. This organization claims to have invented a box which has cells that produce green and inexpensive electricity once natural gases and/or oxygen is run through them. This device is said to have been tried extensively at Google offices and is expected to be made available for a cost of around $3000 in next 5 to 10 years for general home consumption.
- Shree Ganesh Arunachalam
Project Leader, Keane India Private Limited
Health Watch
In a well-discussed interview, the head of the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) discusses the prospects of explosive growth of Alzheimer in India.
Signing Off
Be cheerful and celebrate all things good in life. God loves all of you!!!
Always yours,
Pankaj Dwivedi.
