Over 1,000 dengue cases in Delhi in 3 weeks

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Over-1000-dengue-cases-in-Delhi-in-3-weeks/articleshow/22963221.cms

In New Delhi, India, there has been a rapid spread of dengue, which is a viral disease passed on by mosquitoes. This has not been considered an outbreak because the numbers are not extremely high, but because of the amount of cases recently. This spread has been occurring mostly in the last three weeks, where a thousand cases of dengue were found. Most of the cases came from the North of Delhi due to the construction in that area. Only two people have officially died this year from it (Three did not count because they did not pass the Elisa test- recognized by the government). Because so many people have it,  hospitals have been taking in many patients and relying on the rapid kit test to confirm if the people have the disease. Government is helping to stop the spread of dengue through "fumigation and anti-larval routines" and "sensitization programs and health camps".

Do you think the Indian government is doing what is necessary to stop an outbreak of the disease?

Do you think everyone will get the same benefits to prevent dengue, or will it only be limited to the upper class?

Law catches up with Lalu, faces at least 3 years in jail in fodder scam case

Lulu a was recently convicted of being part of the Fodder Scam.  It took 17 years but him and many others were finally found out.  The Fooder Scam was a scam that took 300 million dollars from the Indian governments treasury.  As the former Bihar chief minister him and 45 others were very swiftly found guilty in the court of law.  The RJD president has now opened the door to his opposing party the JD(U).  With all this corruption we see in the Indian government what will become of this cracked democracy?

1.  Do you think that if the Indian government is so corrupt that good decisions could be made?

2.  Do you think that America can do anything about it?

A Village in Muzaffarnagar Recounts Rapes and Murder

http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/a-village-in-muzaffarnagar-recounts-rapes-and-murder/?_r=0

About three weeks ago, deadly sectarian violence broke out in the Muzaffarnagar, a district of the northern Indian state of Uttar. Currently, cases of sexual violence against women which happened during the rioting are starting to surface. The article states that “Two hundred F.I.R.s have been filed and 800 people have been arrested, mostly on charges of murder, arson and loot.” The riots have brought much crime to these areas, and sexually violent and abusive attacks on women are one of the primary examples of this. 49 people have died and 42,000 have been displaced since Sept.7, when the riots began. This article focuses one a man who was displaced, Mr. Yamin. Yamin went to join his children in a refugee camp in Kandhla in a effort to seek haven, however his wife refused to accompany him, and she stayed behind. During her vulnerable state, group of men armed with guns, sickles and swords had surrounded Mr. Yamin’s house. Although she made efforts to escape, the men raped Mrs. Yamin and then proceeded to bur her alive. Although rape is a very prevalent issue, victims and their families are afraid to report sexual violence during the riots due to the social affects attached to rape in rural India. Mrs. Yamin was only one case out of many, but the prevalent injustices are exemplified.

1)   How does the economic and social standard of rural India affect the justice of women and families?

2)   How does Mrs. Yamin’s bravery and refusal to go to a refugee camp show courage similar to Gandhi's?

India seeks to regulate its booming 'rent-a-womb' industry

India is a giant nation that contains many different markets and forms of work. Now more than ever, the business of hiring surrogate mothers in India is booming.Now more than ever, the business of hiring surrogate mothers in India is booming. This business is becoming more prevalent in other countries like the Ukraine, Thailand, and a few states in the U.S. however; India is becoming the center for this business because of how cheap and available this service is. An issue that is arriving with this new service is innocent women dying during child birth. A recent government-funded study of 100 surrogate mothers in Delhi and Mumbai found there was "no fixed rule" related to compensation and no insurance for post-delivery healthcare. Laws of protection say that you must be between 21 and 35 yeas old and have a proof of insurance.

1. Do you think that having a business that creates a child artificially goes against how God's creation should be born?
2. Do you think that this method of having a child should be used even though there are many orphaned children who could be adopted?

Women Getting a Helping Hand

The non-profit organization, Anita Borg Institute presented the third installment of Women Entrepreneur Quest (WEQ). WEQ is a contest that provides women with the platform to showcase their start-ups with the right people, such as investors, other entrepreneurs, and consultants. While being able to advertise their projects these women are able to win valuable prizes, such being mentored or consulted from various companies. The contest will be presented by the Anita Borg Institute and the Association for Computing Machinery on November 15th in Bangalore. The India Head of the Anita Borg Institute, Gheetha Kannan has been quoted stating that she believes women have the ability to "achieve greater heights" and through this contest it will help to incite and inspire women to create corporations equivalent to those on global scale. The contest will be judged on several criteria and the final pitches will be presented at the Grace Hopper Conference.

1) In light of recent events, how are the rights of women in India being upheld?

2) How could this possibly help the dignity of women and promote gender equality in the future?

India and Pakistan will 'Work together over Kashmir'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24321051

India and Pakistan will 'work together over Kashmir'

The region of Kashmir is located on the border of India, but is under Pakistan control as well as Indian control, which leads to a territorial dispute. Kashmir is ethnically and religiously diverse, being a part of both India and Pakistan. For a long time, both India and Pakistan have had an ongoing dispute based on economies through war. An attack in Kashmir took place while both the Indian and Pakistanian prime ministers were at the United Nations Assembly in New York. Two to three militants forced themselves into a police station, started gun fire, and fled the scene. At least 10 people were killed. This attack took place while both leaders were trying to resolve their problems through dialogue. After this dispute, Both leaders agreed that they needed to stop the violence occuring so that they can move forward to start their peace talks and to come to a concensus with their issues. This year, the renewed amount of episodes of violence has dimished the 10 year cease fire. It is in Pakistans best interest to come together with india so they can better their trade. Overall, the fact that both Prime ministers have decided to come together shows that both leader's desire peace and economic prosperity over regions. 

Discussion Questions:

1) What human rights are being violated as a group of militia shoot the innocent civilians? How have the Prime Minister's of both nations stepped up to respect the rights of the people? 

2) Given Gandhi's ideas on selflessness and living desirelessly, what would Gandhi have said to the people in the position of either the Pakistanian or Indian Prime Ministers?

Execution of four men involved in rape case will do little to stop violence

There was an uproariously clear response on the day that the four men convicted for the rape and murder of a women had been sentenced to death by hanging. Crowds rallied in joy, considering themselves the winners of a terrible situation, hoping that the changes set in motion by the trial will have lasting effects. Unfortunately, prominent women’s rights advocates in India remain skeptical that the hanging will do anything to stop violence against women. The general consensus calls of celebration; people think the “evil” is localized, and thus it can be wiped out. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and for months women’s rights advocates have been wondering whether the death sentences would distract people from the fact that Indian girls and women are so vulnerable to sexual violence. It cannot be said that a public execution would do more than fulfill a collective need for revenge, so to speak. Ms. Nundy, the Supreme Court litigator, said that the real challenge lies in shaking up the criminal justice system: “Rape is not just something that is localized — you find these people, you wipe them out, you’re done,” she said. Little more is being done by police forces to stop the issue of rape, and women are still being blamed for the act and their cases being dropped. While the execution of these men is a success, there is still much to be done before there is absolute justice and protection for India’s women.

1) Is there any correct way of approaching this problem? Does that fact that these men are being sentenced to death violate their dignity? If so, in what ways does this add to the growing problem of violence in India?

2) How does the fact that women's claims are discredited affect the situation in India? Which of their rights are being violated?

3)What is your personal opinion on the issue? Do you think the awareness brought about by the execution of these men is enough to stop the violence?