The Telangana government is all set to reserve 50% of seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls that are to take place shortly. The 1955 GHMC Act is being amended to provide for this reservation that will allot 75 out of the total 150 seats to women candidates.
The Cabinet also decided to amend laws to provide for changes in the functions of municipal ward committees and reservation of wards. The deadline for online uploading of information about landed properties has been extended by 10 days up to October 20. It also discussed the Integrated Township Policy under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
It also went on to amend the laws to manage the paddy procurement issues that occur year after year. The Cabinet resolved that there is to be no deadline for these purchases and that the government is to continue till the last grain is procured from farmers in the Kharif harvest.
The Cabinet approved another Bill allowing the people to apply online for converting their agriculture land into non-agriculture land under the Non-Agricultural Lands Assessment Act (NALA). While this had been existing in an offline format, this has now been altered to suit the current scenario and operate in the absence of a human interface.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Aadhar-like property cards for people living in rural areas under the SVAMITVA Scheme.
Under this initiative, every cardholder will get a unique identity number like Aadhar. This will enable 100,000 property owners to download property cards by means of an SMS link. This will enable villagers to use their property as a financial asset for taking loans and other financial benefits. Besides giving more financial power to rural property owners, this scheme is also expected to resolve longstanding property disputes.
The cards will also be physically distributed by the respective State Governments.
This will be the first-ever large-scale project involving a lot of modern means of technology that will benefit millions of rural property owners.
The beneficiaries are from 763 villages across six states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka. These six states have already signed an MoU with Survey of India and the rural properties will be mapped via drone surveys.
The first phase of the scheme will be implemented in 2020-21 and will cover 1 lakh villages in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and few border villages of Punjab and Rajasthan. The scheme will be expanded over a period of four years and by 2024 and will eventually cover 6.62 lakh villages.
India’s first-ever hydrogen fuel cell prototype car successfully completed its trial run on Sunday which was conducted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and KPIT Technologies.
It is a battery-electric passenger car platform and runs on an indigenously developed fuel cell stack.
This technology runs based on the chemical reactions that take place between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electrical energy and could potentially eliminate fossil fuels. It is also a clean fuel because it doesn’t emit harmful greenhouse gases. It only lets out water as a by-product.
The fuel cell is a low-temperature PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) type that operates at 65-75 degrees Celsius, which is suitable for vehicular applications. CSIR and KPIT have developed a 10 kW-e (Kilowatt-electric) automotive grade LT-PEMFC (low-temperature PEM fuel cell) stack based on CSIR’s know-how. The heart of the PEM fuel cell technology includes the membrane electrode assembly, which is wholly a CSIR know-how.
“KPIT brought in their expertise in stack engineering which included light-weight metal bipolar plate and gasket design, development of the balance of plant (BoP), system integration, control software and electric powertrain that enabled running the fuel cell vehicle. The fuel cell stack uses extremely thin metal bipolar plates, thus reducing the stack weight by about two-thirds,” a statement released by the CSIR said.
Another Hindu temple has been vandalised in the Kario Bhanwar region of Sindh in Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan’. The temple which is dedicated to Lord Ram was razed down by local Islamists.
The Hindu minority of this region has been a constant victim of attacks from Islamists. There have even been forced conversions of Hindu girls and several cases of sexual assault.
This has been taken cognizance by the Justice For Minorities In Pakistan group, and the country’s own Human rights Commission. A press release by the former said, “I strongly condemn the brutal act of vandalism committed against Shri Ram Mandir in Badin Sindh Pakistan on 10 October. Out of 428, only 20 mandirs are left in Sindh.” In this light, one of the persons who had been responsible for the desecration has been arrested. Local police registered an FIR on the incident and arrested Muhammad Ismail Sheedi, a local, who was named by complainant Ashok Kumar as the person believed to have caused the desecration.
In a similar incident that happened a few months ago, an entire village of Hindus in Bhawalpur had been mindlessly demolished under the watch of Pakistan’s Housing Minister Tariq Basheer Cheema who belongs to the Imran Khan-led government.
Islamabad has been far and wide, a perpetrator of human rights and there have been several continuous attacks on religious minorities. This includes forced conversions, rapes, killings and demolition of the houses of Pakistani Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. Even the Ahmadiyyas and Shias of the Islam community face a similar plight.
Imagine an ordinary middle class woman slogging at work every day, bringing laurels to the institution and yet the very same institution throws her out for complaining against sexual harassment by her higher-ups. Josephine Jeyashanthi’s story is about a lone woman’s fight against an extremely powerful establishment that is hell bent on protecting a bunch of sexual predators.
Loyola College, Chennai, a Jesuit Institution, considered as one of the top colleges in the state as well as the country, which has churned out several noteworthy alumni, is turning out to be a den of sexual harassment where vulnerable women are preyed on and the harassers who are mostly professors or Jesuit priests go scot free.
Earlier, The Commune had published about the Mary Rajasekharan case in which the survivor who was an administrator in the college, was sexually harassed by Father Xavier Alphonse, the then Director of Loyola Alumni Association.
This case too is similar but happened much before and is even more disturbing.
Background
Josephine Jeyashanthi joined Loyola College, Chennai as a lecturer in the Department of Media Arts in June 2006. She was later shifted to Department of Tamil in June 2007 without any written order. She was on probation for two years and her service was confirmed by the Loyola management in 2009.
Josephine was a dedicated professor and had brought several accolades to the college. It was during her period as in-charge of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) that the college won the national event and also the SIFE World Cup both in 2007 at New York and in 2010 at Los Angeles. She also struck a chord with the students with her teaching. She had also worked in many programmes aimed at improving the lives of the downtrodden.
Trouble started when Dr. S. Antony Rajarajan (referred to as SA Rajarajan) became the head of the Tamil department. “Right from the beginning Rajarajan used to behave rudely with me. He would throw the leave application on my face when I request for leave. He would insult me in front of others using abusive language. I was subjected to harassment every single day.”, Josephine narrated to The Commune.
Rajarajan had even compelled her to enrol herself as a research student ‘under his guidance’ which Josephine rejected categorically. But he kept insisting despite her rejection. Josephine said that, he even asked her to come and stay with him in a lodge in a manner so disturbing that it haunts her till date.
He changed her workstation at the college inside his cabin and compelled her to sit there and work. Josephine said that Rajarajan would frequent her seat in SIFE office and try to make advances on her and had once told her “You are lying dry and bare without a husband, better succumb to my desire”.
He even made obscene remarks like “There is a hole in your body, I know how to plug it” in front of her colleagues.
“That is the level of obscenity I had to endure”, Josephine said.
Since Josephine did not yield to his advances, Rajarajan made false complaints about her to the college management saying that she was not doing her job properly. He created a hostile environment for her to work causing mental agony to her. This one time things went so bad that Antony Rajarajan flung a chair at her making her fall down. One of the students who witnessed the event is later said to have hospitalized her. This incident was also recorded by that student when he deposed before the committee constituted to enquire about Josephine’s sexual harassment case.
Victimising the victim
Josephine had lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Antony Rajarajan with the internal complaints committee in December 2012. Two months before that, the department staff complained of Rajarajan indulging in corrupt practices in the college. In that complaint related to corruption, a reference to him sexually harassing staff members was also made. However, Josephine who was asked to depose before the committee inquiring the corruption charges, did not bring up the issue of sexual harassment as she was clear that only an exclusive committee constituted for the purpose should investigate Rajarajan on the sexual harassment matter.
After she made the complaint with the anti-sexual harassment committee in December 2012, she was intimidated by the college management for filing the complaint. Albert Williams, the Secretary of Loyola College had asked her to withdraw the complaint but Josephine said that she would consider withdrawing if Antony Rajarajan gave her a written apology.
But, Antony Rajarajan was on to something else. He circulated across the entire campus a highly derogatory note consisting of more than 60 false accusations about Josephine. Rajarajan had resorted to this move because the committee had informed that they would be giving space ‘to accommodate Rajarajan’s view’ on the matter which is completely against the norms mandated by Vishaka Guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. Even after bringing this to light, the committee failed to take any action on Rajarajan for his act. Thus, the Loyola management had in effect committed an illegal act by paving way for slander of the victim.
The Loyola management tried to stall the enquiry against Rajarajan by not allowing the committee to proceed. Josephine made several oral representations and followed it up with multiple emails asking for a fair enquiry. But the management only tried supress the issue by constituting committees after committees. They had resorted to seeking a legal opinion on whether only a committee set as per the Vishaka Guidelines should inquire into the matter. Even after the advocate giving the opinion that the complaint should be enquired only by an exclusive anti-sexual harassment committee, Rev. G. Joseph Antony Samy S.J., who would go on to become the Principal of the college, asked Josephine to withdraw her complaint. Josephine refused and stood her ground.
In February 2013, the Principal had issued a letter stating that the internal complaints committee would proceed with the enquiry. However, it never happened. Instead, the Principal issued another letter on 5th March 2013 that included Rajarajan’s slanderous letter on Josephine thus trying to return the complaint back to her.
After her persistent efforts, the anti-sexual harassment committee conducted the enquiry on March 19, 2013. The committee submitted its report to the management on March 23, 2013.
However, this report was not served to Josephine as mandated by the Vishaka Guidelines and Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, and neither did the Loyola management take any action on the accused.
Meanwhile, Josephine had to put up with further harassment from other authorities like Father Xavier Alphonse, the main accused in the Mary Rajasekharan case, who had made remarks like “Why is this woman still here?” whenever he came across Josephine in the college premises.
In August 2013, the new Principal of Loyola College Rev. G. Joseph Antony Samy S.J., set up another committee consisting of four lady staff – Prof. Rebecca George, Prof. Judith, Prof. Chithra and Prof. Sri Kumari. They had insisted on a compromise and apparently asked Josephine “what she was expecting”.
While the Vishaka Guidelines mandate that the victim be granted leave during the period of enquiry, it turned out to be the other way around here. The perpetrator Antony Rajarajan was given two months medical leave by the Loyola management. During this period, Antony Rajarajan joined hands with another professor named A. Prince and further harassed Josephine. A. Prince, who studied in Loyola and later joined the college as a lecturer was said to be a rowdy even during his student days. He along with Antony Rajarajan conspired to make an attempt on Josephine’s life at the Nungambakkam Railway Station which was foiled, thanks to the tip-off received by Josephine.
Finally Rev. G. Joseph Antony Samy, who calls Josephine as ‘magale’ (daughter in Tamil) in a condescending tone, asked her to go to the court.
Loyola College and their absolute disregard for law and courts
Josephine filed a case at the Madras High Court (WP No. 34958/2013) seeking a copy of the internal complaints committee’s final report and asking the Registrar of University of Madras and Principal of Loyola College to take disciplinary against Antony Rajarajan and A. Prince for the sexual harassment meted out to her with an interim prayer for the protection of her job.
She had lodged a complaint with the police against Rajarajan and Prince but the police were not registering an FIR. So, she went ahead and filed a Criminal Original Petition (CRL OP No. 4427/2014) asking the court to direct the police to file an FIR against the perpetrators.
Immediately after this, on 28th February 2014, Josephine was terminated from her service without prior notice and no valid reason. When she confronted the college management asking for the reason of her termination, the Secretary of Loyola College Albert Williams told her that this was a ‘Christian minority institution’ and that they don’t need to give anybody any reason. That afternoon, she was humiliated in front of students and hounded out of the college.
The police had come to the college to enquire about the incident. However, the professors at the college were threatened by the management to not disclose anything as it would show the college in ‘bad light’.
Meanwhile, Loyola College Secretary Albert Williams informed the court that the verbal sexual harassment was made out by the internal complaints committee and that the college management imposed a punishment of ‘censure’ on Antony Rajarajan. They had submitted the punishment order copy of the punishment as proof. On the other hand, Secretary Albert Williams had given in writing to the police in response to the Criminal Original Petition that the ‘sexual harassment never happened’ and made false accusations saying that ‘Josephine and Rajarajan were good friends’ who got ‘separated due to some issue’. Principal Rev. G. Joseph Antony Samy too wrote the same in his letter to the police. Both Joseph Antony Samy and Albert Williams only blamed Josephine that ‘she was trying to take revenge’.
Rev. Fr. Albert Williams’ letter to the policeRev. Fr. Joseph Antony Samy’s letter to the police
So, the Loyola College management had given different versions to the court and the police. Also, the management had submitted to the police the report given by the committee that enquired the corruption charges on Rajarajan and not the report of the internal complaints committee constituted for inquiring the sexual harassment charges.
Thus, Loyola College management had not just misled the police by lying but also deliberately submitted a false report to manipulate the case. Josephine is now in the process of slapping a criminal case on Loyola College management that includes Rev. Joseph Antony Samy, Albert Williams, Roseline (member of the internal complaints committee), Revathy Roberts apart from the perpetrators Antony Rajarajan and Prince.
The crimes committed by Loyola College
The offence was committed by Rajarajan in 2008 and continued till Josephine’s termination. However the complaint on the accused was taken into cognizance by the internal complaints committee only in December 2012. Section 11 (4) of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 says that an enquiry into the complaint shall be completed within a period of 90 days. The Vishaka Guideline mandate that the grievance be addressed in a time bound manner. However, it took 8 months to ‘censure’ the accused. Also, it took them 6 years to submit the report to the court.
Not just that, the then Secretary Rev. Fr. M. Albert Williams S.J and the then Principal Rev. Fr. G. Joseph Antony Samy S.J have lied to the police.
On top of that, the offender Antony Rajarajan who has been accused of sexual harassment was not only protected by the Loyola College management but was also given privileges like superannuation with salary while the victim was further victimised and terminated from the job.
Will Josephine get justice?
On 25th October 2019, the Madras High Court gave an order in favour of Josephine allowing her to initiate further action against the culprits in accordance with the law. An interim order was given on 16th June 2020 that directed the Loyola College management to not give any employee/retirement benefits for Antony Rajarajan and also to provide compensation to the Josephine within 60 days. But this has not been done. Josephine has now pinned her hopes on the judiciary to get justice.
This is the second case that has come to light from Loyola College, although this happened much before the Mary Rajasekharan case. But the pattern seems to be similar in both the cases – verbally and sexually harass women, make it impossible for them to get relief through internal complaints committee, victimise the victim by inflicting torture and agony, and finally throw them out of the job without even settling payments. This seems to be the pattern institutionalized by the institution.
Hence, it is pertinent to ask the larger question – How safe is Loyola College for women?
A video has been going viral on social media where a group of Congress workers can be seen physically assaulting a woman leader of the party who had questioned the party’s candidate for the upcoming by-elections.
Congress party on Friday announced candidates for by-polls to five assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh and one in Jharkhand.
The woman identified as Tara Yadav had protested against party’s decision to field Mukund Bhaskar Mani Tripathi from Deoria for the upcoming by-polls saying that the man was ‘a rapist’.
Tara Yadav speaking to the media said that she told the AICC Secretary Sachin Naik that the ticket has been given to the wrong person which will spoil the image of the party and asked that the ticket be given to someone with a good character, for which she was beaten up.
O Teri, no independent feminist Journalists Tweeted about Congress leaders beating up a woman for demanding election tickets!!! pic.twitter.com/ORARD9Nd8X
A 29 year-old woman in Hyderabad’s Attapur was physically assaulted after an argument broke out about her performing prayers and rituals at a temple near her house. The woman identified as ‘J Kavitha’ had been doing pooja at her ‘home-temple’ when she was attacked by her neighbours ‘Yesu and Ratna’. Her mother too is said to have been attacked.
She was beaten up for performing Pooja & ringing the bell in temple in Hyderabad. Hindus in Hyderabad unite before it is too late, it was Bhagyalakshmi temple yesterday, Tuljabhavani temple today, it will be your home tomorrow. Telangana Govt. is hand in glove with these forces. pic.twitter.com/GIJNNVsz1U
Apparently, the sound of her prayers had infuriated her neighbours who had charged into the house and attacked them. Kavitha said that she was doing the pooja at her home temple when three people called her outside the house and thrashed Kavitha and her mother. Kavitha was reported saying that the neighbours had been harassing and fighting with them for a long time. She said that they had a problem with the ringing of bells and praying at the small temple dedicated to Goddess Tuljabhavani that have been constructed outside Kavitha’s house.
A complaint was lodged at the police Rajendranagar police station. The police had however noted that Kavita played bhajans using a loud speaker from 6 AM to 10 AM adding that other people in the locality too had issues with Kavita who had raised concerns several times.
Yesu has been charged under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) as he attacked her with a rod. Kavitha has also been asked to use the loudspeaker within the permissible decibel limits.
Goa has become the first state in the country to provide 100% functional tap connections in rural areas covering more than 2.3 lakh rural households.
The development was made public by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which said that Goa has earned itself the distinction of becoming the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State with 100% functional household tap connections (FHTCs). Of the total, 1.65 lakh households are located in North Goa and 98,000 households in South Goa, all spread across 191 gram panchayats.
This has been done under the ‘Har-Ghar-Jal’ initiative by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry in June 2020. The government’s Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024.
Having achieved the universal access, the State now plans for sensor-based service delivery monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of water supply i.e. to provide potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality being to every rural household on regular and long-term basis.
In an amusing incident, a thief who had burgled ₹65,000 worth of goods and ₹5,000 worth of cash from a supermarket, had left an apology note while leaving that read, “Apologies. I am hungry. You lost only one day’s revenue, but this is equivalent to my three month’s revenue. Once again, my apologies.”
The incident took place at a store near the Usilampatti-Madurai road. The store is owned by 30-year-old M Ramprakash from Kavandanpatti. The owner had come to know about the burglary when he opened the shop on Thursday morning only to find two computers, a television, and ₹5,000 gone.
Police said that he also took away the CCTV footage record. Fingerprints experts were pressed into action. The Usilampatti police have registered an FIR under IPC sections 457 and 380 and an investigation is underway.
In a similar incident that took place last year, a thief who broke into a shop in Tamil Nadu left a ‘feedback note’ for the shopkeeper after finding the shop’s cash drawer empty. “I broke into your store putting my life at risk. But there’s not a penny in your cash drawer,” the thief wrote. “So, I decided to do this monkey business (wrecking the store),” the thief added
The Minority Welfare Department of the Telangana State Government has announced a scheme to assist students from the minority communities of the state to clear exams like the UPSC civil services exam.
This scheme is intended at providing support economically weaker sections and minorities and aims to provide free coaching classes for civil services exams to these candidates.
100 candidates are to be selected throughout the state by means of an entrance exam and they will be sent to coaching institutes in the state. The expenses would be paid by the state government. The last date for registrations is October 15, and the entrance exam is to be conducted on October 23rd.
AK Khan, the minorities welfare advisor of Telangana government, said that these students will also be provided with a stipend. The scheme is available for candidates whose parents’ annual income is not above ₹2 lakh. “Inshaallah, we have a scheme ready to provide them with the best training in the best coaching centres in Hyderabad”, said Khan. He added that this was a golden opportunity for the minority candidates and they should make the best use of it.
