Tag: union home ministry

Sheila Dikshit and sanitary napkins

India
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Delhi’s Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has said that Delhi government will distribute free sanitary napkins to school girls. May be the money she and her colleagues made during the run-up to Commonwealth Games has run out and other sources have dried up and sanitary napkins contract is a way to make money.

Sanitary napkins are not a necessity. Till few decades back women did not use sanitary napkins. Around 70% of women in India do not use sanitary napkins. It is not the job of the state to provide sanitary napkins. After sanitary napkins it may be the case of free distribution of fairness creams, talcum powders, lipsticks, scents, perfumes and such things.

Sheila Dikshit has shown no concern about the safety of women in Delhi. Some years back a female journalist was murdered during night and Sheila Dikshit said that it was adventurous for a girl to go out at night. She did not talk about making Delhi safe for women at all times. She did not say law and order in Delhi is under the jurisdiction of Union Home Ministry and the Union Home Ministry should do more to make Delhi a safe place.

After Commonwealth Games, the central government had appointed Shunglu Committee which submitted reports. The government acted swiftly after the first report which was against Prasar Bharati CEO B. S. Lalli. After that Shunglu Committee submitted reports against Sheila Dikshit, Tejendra Khanna and others but the government did not act against them. Union Home Ministry sent a report to Delhi government to get its reply. As expected Delhi government has refuted charges. Suresh Kalmadi said he was responsible for 1,600 crore rupees spent by IOA on Commonwealth Games and Delhi government spent 16,000 crore rupees. Suresh Kalmadi is in jail. Nothing has happened to Sheila Dikshit. Suresh Kalmadi was unpopular for the mess he made it. Sheila Dikshit was popular for the efforts she made to rescue the games. But that is a separate issue.

Services team and Srinagar

India
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On 3 November 2009 Services team did not turn up at Srinagar to play Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir. This led to an uproar especially from Farooq Abdullah. He questioned when Kashmir is safe for Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram to come and to Sonia Gandhi to address people without bullet proof glass why it is not safe for Services team to play in Srinagar. Ambassadors of 22 countries have come and played golf. Services team would have been provided same level of security. For Farooq Abdullah Services team not playing was a sign of conspiracy not to allow Kashmir to return to normalcy.
BCCI banned Services team for the year. Services team apologised and sought new dates.
The decision not to send Services team was taken on the basis of intelligence reports. Ranji Trophy match is for four days. In Lahore cricketers were attacked. If the people in charge of taking decision about Services team thought it right for Services team not to play in Srinagar it would have been on the basis of sufficient reason.
Everything is not all right in Jammu and Kashmir. Pre-paid mobile service that was prevalent in J&K was banned from 1 November 2009. J&K government asked the centre to reconsider the ban. That shows the situation is not normal. However the reason given for banning pre-paid is not convincing. It is said that for pre-paid connection one document is required and for post-paid three documents are required. In that case the requirement for pre-paid should have been made three documents.
On 4/11/2009 Farooq Abdullah said “I am sure the Centre has taken this extreme step only to make sure the misuse is curbed. It will be curbed soon.”
Same day Chidambaram said “It was a well considered decision of the central government, which was taken after the Union Home Ministry apprised its concern to the government. The decision was taken up keeping in view the security situations and the service providers were also apprised about the decision before the move of banning the pre-paid connections was taken.
The ban on the pre-paid connections was going to stay in Jammu and Kashmir at least for now. However, service providers were working out for alternate arrangements for the same to the people.”
Chidambaram also expressed displeasure at Services team pulling out of Srinagar and promised to see that a match takes place there.
Pre-paid is more important than cricket. If Chidambaram has promised lifting the ban on pre-paid it would have sent a better signal than arranging a cricket match in Srinagar.
Farooq Abdullah should have protested publicly when pre-paid was banned in J&K. If he has protested privately it is immaterial. His criticism of Services team was public.