Many who talk of Women’s lib and their empowerment have preferred to ignore the glaring inequality of women’s rights under Muslim Personal Law in India. One important aspect relates to unequal inheritance rights of daughters wherein a daughter is only entitled to a share in property which is half of that of the son. If there is no son only 2/3rd of the property goes to the daughter and the remaining to the man’s brothers or other relatives. Also, the estate of a Muslim can only pass to a Muslim, which prejudices the wife or children following another religion.
After 29 years, advocate and actor C Shukkur, (known for his role as a lawyer in the Kunchacko Boban starrer ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu’), remarried his wife Sheena — former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University — under the Special Marriage Act (SMA) in 2023 on Women’s Day with all three of their daughters in attendance as witnesses. The remarriage was done to save the property rights of his three daughters.
When a Muslim couple marries under the Special Marriage Act of 1954, they cease to be Muslims for the purpose of inheritance. Thereafter, their property is no longer governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937. The cascading effect of Shukkur’s initiative is now being witnessed on the ground. In the two districts where data was collected by them under RTI, Thrissur witnessed 144 registrations under the act, 133 such registrations were held in Kasaragod.
This trend, if it is indeed so, indicates one reason for the Uniform Civil Code proposed to be implemented by the BJP
Monday, 25 November 2024
Tuesday, 5 September 2023
Aarogya Maitri
In a groundbreaking development, India has introduced the 'Aarogya Maitri Cube,' the world's first portable disaster hospital, designed to sustain 200 survivors for 48 hours. This revolutionary creation has been conceived under the 'Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri' (BHISHM). In February 2022, a dedicated task force under the Ministry of Defence was instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. As per the brief given, Air Vice Marshal Tanmoy Roy, head of the task force told Media that BHISHM had to make something original and innovative. Being a doctor himself, along with 6 of his colleagues Roy understood what is required during a medical emergency of any kind and might, and how important it is to be well equipped and deploy aid at the right time. This led to the indigenously developed Aarogya Maitri Cubes.
In the picture above, Indian High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka presented state-of-the-art Arogya Maitri Cube to Sri Lanka
In January 2023, at the the Concluding Leaders’ Session of the two-day virtual ‘Voice of Global South, PM announced the ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project under which India would provide essential medical supplies to any developing country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crisis.
The idea of February 2022, was announced in Jan 2023 and already 'Aarogya Maitri Cubes' have been donated to Myanmar as a goodwill gesture
The 'Aarogya Maitri Cube' is composed of three frames, with each accommodating 12 mini-cubes. The portable hospital consists of a four wheeled cage that encloses a total of 36 mini-cubes that suffice for a 100 survivors, for a period of 2 days/48 Hours, this arrangement is called a master cube. The design of the master cube is such that it can adjoin a similar master cube, to encompass a total of 72 mini cubes, catering to 200 survivors.
These cubes can handle various severe injuries, from bullet wounds to spinal fractures, providing critical medical support in the most challenging circumstances. Each Aarogya Maitri Cube comprises an operation theatre, mini-ICU, ventilator, blood test equipment, X-ray machine, cooking station, food, water, shelter, power generator, and more, all compactly packed into 72 cubes. These cubes, ingeniously designed for flexibility, are an innovative approach to disaster response. The contents of the cubes can be tailored to specific needs, whether it's responding to natural disasters, war zones, epidemics, or challenging terrains. This wholly Made-in-India product is affordable, costing less than Rs 2.5 crore for 72 cube boxes and can be airlifted.
The multifaceted aid kit proves to be helpful for astringent as well as the most severe injuries. It includes Forty bullet injuries, Twenty-five major bleeds, 25 major burns, around 10 long limb fractures, head injuries, spinal injuries or fractures and chest injuries.
Saturday, 29 July 2023
Amrit Sarovar
The objective of Mission Amrit Sarovar under the Ministry of Rural Development is to develop at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district of the country during Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. The Mission was launched 24th April, 2022 with a view to conserve water for the future through rain water conservation and harvesting by renovating Amrit Sarovars which have reached the verge of extinction and constructing of new Amrit Sarovar. These would become the centre of local community activities. A user group is formed for each Amrit Sarovar for there community ownership and maintenance.
The target was set to build 50 thousand Amrit Sarovar by August 15, 2023, this has been achieved ahead of schedule. As per their press release of 10th May 2023, 50,071 Amrit Sarovar have been completed.
The aim is to conserve water for the future generations with the combined efforts of district administration, Panchayat Raj officials, public representatives, panchayats, voluntary organizations, various institutions and public participation in states and union territories. In this on-going project, over one lac sites have been identified.
So far 59,282 user groups have joined Mission Amrit Sarovar for maintaining the Sarovar and generating their livelihood from it. Public participation has converted this mission into a mass movement. So far, 1784 freedom fighters, 684 families of martyrs, 448 families of freedom fighters, 18173 senior members of panchayats and 56 Padma awardees have participated in the mission.
An android application is used for inspection of all Amrit Sarovar that are built across the country. There are several media reports on the status or planning towards achieving the targets. A report from Nashik, Maharashtra, can be read here https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/2l-people-to-benefit-from-131-amrit-sarovars/articleshow/100780760.cms
Like so many of the other government schemes, there is regular updationof status which can be seen here; https://amritsarovar.gov.in/. The current completion as on 29th July 2023 is 63,860
Next : Aarogya Mantri
Previous: Jal Jeevan Mission : An update
Thursday, 8 June 2023
Jal Jeevan Mission - An update
Government of India's Jal Jeevan Mission, envisioned providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in ALL rural India. It has various components - recharge and reuse, water conservation, rain water harvesting etc.. Details of this programme can be seen here.
I had posted about this earlier, (Jal Jeevan Mission and Goa's success), now thought of looking at the present position. As on 15th August 2019, out of over 19.45 crores of rural households, only 3.24 crores - just 16.63% of rural households got water. In less than four years since then, 8.89 cr rural households have been provided water connections, taking the present statistics to 62.84% - a fourfold increase in such a short time. Thus it took over 70 years to reach 16% and another 4 years to do another 48% of rural households in India. Though behind schedule, yet what a fantastic performance.
The position is updated daily and can be seen here
https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx
100% connection has been achieved by Goa (the first to do so), A&N Islands, Dadra &...., Haryana, Gujarat, Puducherry, Punjab, and Telengana. The laggards in decreasing order of achievement are Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Lakshadweep is at 0%
Next : Amrit Sarovar
Previous : Slow progress in regard to Enemy Property
Saturday, 11 June 2022
Slow progress in regard to Enemy Property
Evacuee and or Enemy property is that left behind by nationals/ residents of Pakistan or China (or any other country who performed external belligerence against India) and who have moved out of India. During the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the Indian government took over many properties owned by those who had opted for Pakistani citizenship, to ensure that profits accruing from that property or business were not channeled to Pakistan to help it fight the war.
In Delhi about 3,500 built-up evacuee properties were transferred by the rehabilitation ministry to the municipal corporation of Delhi for slum clearance, during the period of 1962 to 1974. Another 10,000 bighas of agricultural land was also transferred by the ministry of rehabilitation to the DDA for land and building development.
Pakistan sold off all such property in 1975, Due, inter-alia, to various Indian court decisions the Act in this regard was last revised in 2017. Read more here. The guidelines for the disposal of properties were amended in 2019, to facilitate ‘usages of enemy property by the state government exclusively for public use’. Various committees have also been set up and surveys undertaken.
Reasons for the amended Bill:
- The term “Enemy” was widened to include legal heirs irrespective of the citizenship.
- The sale of enemy property cannot be performed by the enemy/ heirs, the Law of Succession will not be applicable.
- The Government can exclusively use the enemy property for public use.
- Civil Courts cannot entertain matters related to enemy property, only High Courts and Supreme Court will be having jurisdiction.
- The Custodian becomes the owner of enemy property retrospectively from 1968 and will have all rights to evict, get encroachments removed and sell enemy property.
An issue raised against the amendment is that it applies retrospectively
and impacts the rights of an earlier purchaser of such property
In Nov 21, it was reported that there are 12610 number of Enemy Properties (belonging to Pakistan Nationals and Chinese Nationals), which have been declared and are vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.
Hyderabad Oct 2021 : The single largest enemy property in India is on the outskirts of Hyderabad spread over more than 650 acres in Shamshabad Mandal Ranga Reddy district.. CEPI has been pursuing the case with the state government due to the threat of encroachments looming large as land sharks set eyes on it. The encroaches apparently include some prominent and politically well-connected individuals and cover over 540 acres
Ghonda June 2022: The district administration has freed a 56-bigha enemy property from encroachers in Akauni village, Gonda, UP when a team along with heavy police force, operated a tractor over the sugarcane crop which was planted on the said piece of land, and destroyed it, a case was registered against four encroachers.
This issue recently came into limelight in regard to the riots that too place in Kanpur early this month. It was found that stone pelting etc. was done from several storey high buildings that were built on enemy property
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