AADHAAR: A TOOL FOR BULLYING PEOPLE BY THE STATE

No scheme of the government of India has created as much anxiety and fear as that of the UIDAI's AADHAAR:Fear of losing state-promoted benefits.Some overzealous state governments have already made Aadhaar number mandatory.Millions find it difficult to get the Aadhaar number.Finally the Supreme Court ruling that Aadhaar is not mandatory for availing of government services, and it is optional for the citizens to seek Aadhaar number.

UIDAI and the government say that Aadhaar number is to establish the IDENTITY of the beneficiary of the services provided by the governments.Illegal migrants and even terrorists can avail of all government benefits.Some can even plant bombs to kill innocent people.The government says Aadhaar is not intended to establish CITIZENSHIP. IDENTITY IS DIFFERENT FROM CITIZENSHIP:A PERVERSE AND DANGEROUS POSITION.

The Supreme Court ruling stipulates that before issuing Aadhaar number the legitimacy of the citizenship of the recipient needs to be established.But the government's stand is motivated by political considerations which would even endanger the safety of the nation and the security of the citizens. The present system of giving Aadhaar numbers through private agencies and introducers is defective. Often the introducers introduce prospective recipients without even knowing them. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Some months ago the media exposed the irregularities in giving Aadhaar numbers.But the government ignored these valid exposures and is going ahead with ambitious targets. Short-term political gains at the cost of the nation.What a leadership this country has chosen!!!

When Indian celebrities are detained at US airports there is a big hue and cry in India as if the Indian nation is humiliated. But the US authorities continue with this practice. US is keen about the security of America and Americans.At the same time Indian authorities just do not bother about India's security. They are keen only about the security and convenience of the so called VIPs.The government is keen to circumvent the Supreme Court order banning convicted MPs and MLAs from the sacred precincts of the legislatures through an Ordinance.The government is planning a legislation to make UIDAI a statutory body.GOOD. But if the proposed act is intended to legitimise IDENTITY at the cost of CITIZENSHIP requirement it would be disastrous.As a citizen I hope that the Supreme Court would protect India and the Indians.

SOCIAL WORK IN INDIA: A BIZARRE SCENARIO

The Platinum Jubilee of social work education in India was observed in 2011. But there is nothing to cheer about. Mushrooming of social work courses (BSW and MSW ); sub-standard distance education programmes barring the ones of IGNOU; no national association of social workers;  no regulatory council; no certification for social work practice:...

For some years a voluntary association called Association of Schools of Social Work in India (ASSWI)existed. It was called a Headmasters' Association as a small group of "headmasters" and their collaborators controlled it.They were the permanent participants of international conferences and seminars; and beneficiaries of government nominations and international assignments. They also claimed themselves as practitioners. During 1977-81, a committed team was elected to manage ASSWI in which I had the opportunity to be one.For the first time social work teachers from different regions were nominated to international programmes ; many were invited to direct many workshops and seminars; and organised various faculty development and curriculum restructuring workshops.But when our four-year term ended, we faced a vicious character assassination campaign led by a group of "senior" social work educators. The new team succeeded in making ASSWI a weak organisation, which eventually had its demise.

The association of social workers--Indian Association of Social Workers (IATSW)--was a fairly strong Delhi-based body for some years. When a new power centre emerged in another city, internecine squabbles led to its closure.But the recent trend of associations of professional social workers in different cities without any national strangulating agency is a healthy sign.

From time to time, attempts were made for a statutory regulatory council of social work education without any success. The promoters of the council are overzealous as they could control the council if it ever becomes a reality.

In recent decades, a good number of committed professional social workers across the country are changing the landscape of professional social work practice in India .Thank GOD! they are independent of social work educators whose agenda is more personal than professional.

SOCIAL WORK : A PARADISE OF PIRATES AND GULLIBLE VICTIMS

Social work researchers often refer books which are not worthy to be referred. Professor Shankar Pathak, who retired from the Delhi School of Social Work ( now Department of Social Work at the Delhi University ),recently brought to  the attention of social work fraternity the "social work academic piracy " through a privately  circulated letter. A writer of impeccable academic and professional integrity, Professor Pathak has exposed the wholesale piracy of a multi-volume Encyclopaedia of Social Work brought out by a private institute based at Lucknow. Encyclopaedia is a very serious academic effort needing enormous organizational and academic co-ordination. But copying others' works does not need any serious  effort. Only two requirements for such an enterprise:(1)materials are to be  identified for copying, and (2) unlimited confidence that the mass copying would not be noticed, and if noticed no one would bother about it.

 

Many social work researchers, when they work for a research degree, are not serious about the authenticity  of the sources which they refer while writing. Research degrees are considered a hurdle to be crossed for promotion, or as a mandatory requirement. Many , these days, aim at getting PhD degree as a status symbol.So there is an unholy nexus  between research guides, research scholars , and dissertation writers.Outsourcing research degree work has become a lucrative business enterprise.A real case of a PhD:(1):Research instruments from Internet sources; (2):contract for data collection from 300 respondents and data analysis ( Rs.3 lakhs ); (3):contract for writing the dissertation including typesetting and getting dissertation copies bound (Rs.3.25 lakhs); (4): miscellaneous (Rs.1 lakh).Total around Rs.7.5 lakhs for a PhD degree. In this scenario, plagiarism and piracy thrive.

 

Only a war -like action by the governments, UGC, and committed academics can make a dent on this menace. It is as deadly as corruption in public and social life.

INDIAN WOMEN IN A SICK SOCIETY

Scriptures glorify indian women as SAKTHI and we worship in temples. But in families and society, women have always been domesticated , ill-treated and abused. Women's body has always been viewed as an object of sexual gratification, and violation of women's modesty has often been condoned.In modern society, patriarchal systems continue unabated in the mind- set of the custodians of law and justice.The female segment of the population starts life (if they survive foeticide and infanticide) with bias as  a burden on parents, and face sexual abuse within families in many cases, sexual harassment at the workspot ,and then direct sexual assault. The popular TVChannel in Malayalam ASIANET reported extensively on child sexual abuse in families under the title "It is your daughter, do not forget " and the numerous instances of abuse by fathers themselves. Rape is not always reported for fear of neighbours and police, and the conviction rate of rapes is low mainly because of prejudiced and defective police investigation, weak prosecution and often  judgements with leniency towards the rapists. Reporting rape in police stations is often risky for the victims. Many a time rape victims are sexually assaulted by the police officials.Law often stands helpless when people with money and power are the sexual offenders.

 

Society is generally cruel to the rape victims. Sympathy is often found missing and the victim as well as her family are ridiculed and ostracized.Many girls and women commit suicide because of social ostracism. Support systems to rape survivors are woefully inadequate in India.Social Work profession's response to the restorative and rehabilitative services is not worth mentioning. Living in a sick society cannot make our women healthy.