By: Intern

“Women in the village M Thumbaraguddi, Sandur taluk face domestic violence. The wives get beaten up by their husbands but they have no complaints against it as it is very normal for them”, said Md Hamsar the village guide and who helped to talk to the victims in the village.

“Every night my husband beats me after returning home but it is very common in our village. Therefore, it’s OK. After this we have a conversation and he understand the matter and the beating comes to a haul for two-three days and then it starts again,” one of thesurvivors of that village, informed.

When asked the victim’s husband regarding the matter, he said, “I work at the mines. I am a lorry driver; I work day and night and drink a lot. After I return home and my wife make any mistake, it bursts my anger and I start beating her and it is our personal matter.”

This village in the Sandur taluk is one of the most back warded villages in terms of infrastructure and literacy rate, there the information was found that the villagers are mostly into drinking and drugs and harassing the women and that is very common in the village, informed Md Hamsar.

Another survivor of that village shares her experience that she had been facing physical harassment since her childhood, and even after her marriage she is facing not only physical harassment but also she has been harassed mentally.“I work in the field and my husband stays at home, if I don’t give him money to drink, he starts beating and abusing me. He becomes normal after he gets what he wants.

The Sub-Inspector of Sandur taluk said that he do not receive many FIRs regarding this matter as the villagers think that this is their personal matter and they do not want to discuss it.

N. Prathap Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police of Ashoknagara police station, informed that to dispense justice,it is a Court’s responsibility to solve the matter.Under section 498 of IPC the accused get arrested and the victim gets temporary maintenance. The court takes care of the woman or her family for 20 to 30 days and within that period of time they try to resolve.

Deepthi Ayathan, advocate at Civil Court, informed, “When a victim comes to the judicial procedure to handle such cases, it should be conducted on fast track basis and should be given special importance in hearing the cases as it involves those women’s family.”

Vanitha Sahaya Vani, is an organization for protection of the women. The head counsellor of the organization Manjula Jain said, “Most of the complaints that we get from the women, belong either to educational or economical backward class. The male of the family thinks of their wives as objects. We not only receive cases onphysical harassment, but also mental and sexual harassment. We also get cases that revolve around harassment due to dowry.

We solve cases depending on how that woman wants to solve. We talk it out first and then solve it in office in between the two parties but if the women want her husband to go behind the bar, we work according to the court procedures.”

Law: The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to protect women from domestic violence. It was brought into force by the Indian government from 26 October 2006. The Act provides for the first time in Indian law a definition of “domestic violence”, with this definition being broad and including not only physical violence, but also other forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse. It is a civil law meant primarily for protection orders and not for meant to be enforced criminally.

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2006 different from the provision of the Penal Code – section 498A of the Indian Penal Code – in that it provides a broader definition of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is defined by Section 3 of the Act as “any act, omission or commission or conduct of the respondent shall constitute domestic violence in case it:

• harms or injures or endangers the health, safety, life, limb or well-being, whether mental or physical, of the aggrieved person or tends to do so and includes causing physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse and economic abuse; or

• harasses, harms, injures or endangers the aggrieved person with a view to coerce her or any other person related to her to meet any unlawful demand for any dowry or other property or valuable security; or

• has the effect of threatening the aggrieved person or any person related to her by any conduct mentioned in clause (a) or clause (b); or

• Otherwise injures or causes harm, whether physical or mental, to the aggrieved person.”

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By: Meghna Das Chowdhury

The lake inside Cubbon Park, which used to attract a lot of visitors is now under threat because of its poor condition. Due to the huge amount of waste and sewage accumulation, the entire lake has turned into an algae lake. The Cubbon Park authorities have started to clean up the lake.

The lake which is near the tall bamboo plants at Cubbon Park has turned down to a miserable condition as the entire water body has turned into an algae lake which is only green in color. Visitors say that they have often seen people throwing garbage at it and the lake was not properly maintained. This might be the reason for the lake turning out to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the formation of algae.

“I have visited Cubbon Park earlier and every time I see this lake, I see garbage items like plastic cups, chips packet floating on its surface. The lake is not cleaned regularly,” Sombrita Dutta, a regular visitor of the park informed.

The matter is taken up by the Horticulture Department and they have joined hands with the Cubbon Park authorities to clean up the lake and prevent it from getting polluted again. An official from the Horticulture Department informed, “We plan to clean up the lake as soon as possible and the work has already started. We have got contractors, who would clean up the lake as well as clear out the dried bamboo plants. Once it is done, we will try to not make the lake polluted again.”

According to an article by Deccan Chronicle published in 2014, “Visitors going to Cubbon Park can soon revel in a breath-taking view of the lakes during their stroll at the park. The Horticulture department has joined hands with various agencies like B.PAC, Bangalore Cares, and other organizations to revive the dried-up lakes inside the park. Plans are afoot to rejuvenate the three existing lakes in Cubbon Park premises before the next monsoon.”

Workers are found working on the lake to clear out the algae and throw out the garbage from the lake. Anil Kumar, one of the contractor workers informed, “We are trying to clean up the lake as soon as possible. There is a lot of algae formation in the lake. It will take time until we finally get to see the clear water. The water smells bad too. It has become the breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

Megha Singh, a visitor to the park said, “The beauty of the lake is lost. It is looking miserable and the lake is not giving cold winds like it earlier used to give. If people be so ignorant and keep throwing garbage into the lakes, then they should not be allowed to enter the park. They spoil the beauty.”

The water has started to dry up. The number of algae present in the lake clearly indicates that it is quite possible no marine animal living beneath the water will be having access to oxygen. The leaves from in and around the trees also fall into the lake and make it look more filled.

Environmentalist Akshay Heblikar, Director of Eco-Watch, when asked to comment on the situation, informed The Observer, “The problem with all these lakes and lakes in the urban areas is that, people are not really dependent on it as a source of water. As a result, they don’t think twice before polluting them. They don’t think before pouring the sewage to the lakes and lakes. In the rural areas people depend on these water bodies for various reasons, as a result, they try not to pollute it.

“The algae formed on these lakes not only makes the water polluted but also affects the marine animal living underneath it. It is killing them. Moreover, one cannot consume the fish that belongs to a very dirty algae-filled lake or lake. If anyone does, then he is ought to meet some disease.”

According to the GOVERNMENT OF INDIA – MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE, “In order to conserve wetlands and lakes in an integrated manner, all the States/ Union Territories have been advised for giving high priority for the constitution of State wetland/ lake authorities, identification and notification of priority wetlands…”

“Bangalore had some 1000 lakes. It was known as the garden city. Due to the cool breeze blowing over the lakes, the climate of the city always remained moderate. But now, due to the increasing population, people have started encroaching into lakes and lakes. Tonnes of waste is created every day and most of it is received by the water bodies,” said Akshay Heblikar.

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By: Ankita Mukherjee

We, the audience love to watch films munching on some popcorns and relaxing in the air-conditioned rooms, 8 out of 10 people never look into the details of that film. Who is the director of the film? Did a woman direct it? What is her name? –these sorts of questions are asked by the audience in this male-dominated country and its equal driven film industry. Still now after entering the 21st century, people can’t believe a film can be directed and managed by a woman!

In recent times, a lot more women are getting behind the camera creating some magic, they are bringing a fresh perspective with a diversity of mind-boggling concepts hitting the box office.

There was a time when the only women directors like Mira Nair, Aparna Sen, and Deepa Mehta were giving tough competitions to the male directors in the box office and award ceremonials.

Aparna Sen started off her career as an actor but then she transformed herself into a well-known director. She debuted with ‘36 Chowringhee Lane’ in both Bengali and English language, in the year 1981. She took a high flight after then and made one after another maestro film, ‘15, Park Avenue, The Japanese Wife, Sonata’ and many more in Bengali film industry.

Mira Nair debuted with ‘Salaam Bombay’ in the year 1988. But then she came up with ‘Monsoon Wedding’ which grossed over $30 million worldwide. This daring director came up with a film ‘Kamasutra: a tale of love’ back then in the 90s challenging all the directors. It got critical appreciation and even though it was certified as an adult movie by the CBFC, the mind-set of the audience couldn’t acknowledge the film in a straightway. She also rejected the offer from Warner Brothers in directing the Harry Potter series because of the film ‘The Namesake’ based on the novel written by Jhumpa Lahiri. It grossed in the box office over $20.14 million.

Deepa Mehta is well known for her directorial venture ‘The Elements Trilogy’ (FIRE- $501,533, EARTH- $32,011,576 and WATER -$10,422,387). Back then, female directors wanted to portray social melodrama through a larger than life scale. People used to watch them wholeheartedly. But, with the metamorphosis of time, the mind-set of the directors has changed and they all are working on the concept. Female directors have not stayed back in that race!

Nowadays, the contemporary female directors like Zoya Akhtar, Nandita Das, Meghna Gulzar, Alankita Srivastava, Gauri Shinde, Konkona Sen Sharma, Shonali Bose and many more are trying to show the lives of eminent personalities, the true societal issues and women empowering movies to motivate their audiences, even if they could not be commercially successful.

Zoya Akhtar debuted with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara where the story unfolds about the three friends. It grossed $21 million in the box office. Whereas she came up with her new film Gully Boy about a gully rapper Divine and it is running successfully in the box office with $2242.3 million and still, it’s counting. But, Nandita Das could not hit the box office with her film Manto but it got a lot of critical appreciation. Meghna Gulzar with her Raazi, Gauri Shinde with her Dear Zindagi, Alankrita Srivastava with her Lipstick under my Burkha, Konkona Sen Sharma with her A Death in the Gunj and Shonali Bose with her Margherita with a Straw concentrated on the concept without worrying about the box office, also they earned more of their budget which indicates they flourished commercially too. Kangana Ranaut, a national award-winning actress turned into a director with her film ‘Manikarnika’ which got released this year. She was entangled with a lot of controversies but still having them she wore the directorial crown of her film.

Bengali female directors are now no less than them. Bengali film industry has opened up its grand gate for all the women who wanted to pursue this career maintaining inequality. Starting with Arundhati Devi, and now Aparna Sen, Sudeshna Roy, Nandita Roy is doing some amazing jobs in the film industry!

Now, women are directing, acting and producing a film! Just like a rising sun, women are holding their heads high above all, in pride. With their extraordinary contribution in the film industry, the future lies within their hands and they have proven it years after years, taking Indian cinema to a new horizon. We should always celebrate their efforts. Cheers to the women power!

The post Women eyes creating magic behind the lens appeared first on Maverick Times.

By: Meghna Chowdhury

Though the Central government proposes to ban two-stroke engines, autorickshaws and motorcycles fitted with these engines continue to ply in various parts of the country, especially Karnataka. Autorickshaw drivers say they are unaware of the proposed ban and the pollution caused by two-stroke engines.

Two-stroke engines produce a lot of pollution, it is harmful to the environment and the way the engine is designed that part of the air/fuel leaks out of the chamber through the exhaust port, which is why you see a small thin film, or sheen, of oil around any two-stroke outboard motor, and this leaking oil is a real mess for the environment. This is the reason why the Central Government decided to ban them. Moreover, two-stroke engines use a lot of fuel. Nagaraj Kumar, the driver of an autorickshaw with a two-stroke engine, informed The Observer: “I am not aware whether it is banned or not. I use it as it is in good condition.” But he added, “I often have to go a garage and find it difficult to get parts for the two-stroke engine. They are not available in a lot of places.” “After this engine gives up, I have to buy a four-stroke autorickshaw,” driver Kiran from Bengaluru, said.

Two-stroke engines require only two piston movements in order to generate power. Studies have found out that two-stroke engines generate a lot of smoke and increase air pollution. The smoke they emit is four times more hazardous than that generated by four-stroke engines.

Autorickshaws with two-stroke engines emit a lot of smoke that is black in color and smell of burning fuel. Balaji R, who runs an autorickshaw with a two-stroke engine, said it emits a pungent smell and smoke, and he has to take the vehicle to a garage to have its engine cleaned.

M.S. Prakash, an assistant sub-inspector at the Karnataka traffic police headquarters, said: “In new autorickshaws that are being manufactured, no two-stroke engines are being used. The vehicles with two-stroke engines out there are the last ones remaining. The new autorickshaws have four-stroke engines. It is the same case with bikes and cars.”

According to an article that appeared in The Hindu: “As the pollution levels are increasing, the Transport Department has decided to ban two-stroke autorickshaws in the city from April 1, 2018.” But the government extended the deadline to 2020 on realizing that more than 30,000 autorickshaws would be affected by the proposed ban.

Hardly any two-stroke engines are available in the market. “The number of autorickshaws with two-stroke engines is coming down slowly. Therefore, we expect that soon no two-stroke engines will be out there on the roads,” an official with the Koramangala RTO, said.

Dr. H.S. Lokeshwari, chief scientific officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, said: “It would be a very good idea if the Karnataka government banned two-stroke engines totally. The amount of smoke and poisonous gases coming out from a two-stroke engine is much more compared to that from a four-stroke engine. Two-stroke engines also create a lot of noise pollution. The ban is still a plan in action, and it is a proposed ban.”

According to the Indian Environmental Portal, there is a high level of hydrocarbons in the smoke produced by two-stroke engines. Dr. Sateesh V., an associate professor at the Rajarajeshwari College of Engineering and an expert in automobile engineering, said: “It would be a good idea to ban something that creates so much pollution. But if you can work on the two-stroke engine and make it less polluting, even that is a good idea.”

Sateesh and his students are working on a project to operate a four-stroke diesel engine using vegetable oils, along with petrol or diesel. He said it would create less pollution. Dr. Lokeshwari said: “The central government is proposing a ban on BS-IV engines used in cars and implementing the use of BS-VI engines as they create less pollution and only good-quality fuel can be used in them.”

An article in the Deccan Herald said: “About two and a half years ago, the transport department had made it clear that two-stroke engine autorickshaws emit a lot of smoke. Hence, it was made mandatory for all new autorickshaws to run on LPG, or to have four-stroke engines, to bring down emission levels and to phase out the two-stroke engine autos simultaneously…. But these autorickshaws continue to ply on the roads.” It is still expected to be completely phased out by ’20

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By: Ankita Mukherjee

With the proliferation of social media, people are now unlikely to read text-books. In the new era of digital media, the gap in between the literary classics or novels and the online websites of literature is getting blurry. Literature is now more accessible as it unfurls within the reader’s palm.

Memes are the neo-literature. When an idea is presented through a meme, it gets circulated and every user can improvise and come up with their own interpretation. In the digital media, the memes get filtered with literary terms with a humorous touch.

The term ‘Intertextuality’, implies that all texts, in a broad sense, are intertextual. Coined by Julia Kristeva, based on the Bakhtinian notion, that every utterance is independent and interrelated to what has previously been said. According to Kristeva, any text is constructed of a mosaic of quotations and is the absorption and transformation of another.

The websites like Sparknotes, Academics, Pennsound (a podcast site which produces audio literature), which summarize literary classics for the easy accessibility of their readers. To lighten the mood, these websites create accounts on Instagram (lit.memery, lit_english_memes, Sparknotes) and share memes on these classics to make them more palatable and approachable to the audience.

Before the advent of social media, intertextuality was observed in films like the adaptations of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. By the creation of memes using literary classics as examples, these websites take intertextuality a step further. And, now memes are proposing the fact that they are the new form of literature.

The post Memes – The Harbinger of Neo-literature appeared first on Maverick Times.

By: Meghna Das Chowdhury

A country’s cinema offers a deep insight into its culture. The reach of the Hindi film industry across India makes it a ready reference for the country’s dominant mores and concerns despite its extraordinary social diversity. But cinema doesn’t just reflect social attitudes, it often plays an important role in shaping them.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the way Bollywood has changed attitudes towards women. Says Shenjuti Dutta, a film studies professor at St. Xavier’s College Kolkata, “Not only Bollywood but the film industry of every region is inclined towards patriarchy. But it is also true that Bollywood does focus a lot on women-centric films these days.”

Bollywood has been an amalgamation of women-centric films and women playing side roles films. In the 1970s, Zeenat Aman introduced Bollywood viewers to a novel western sensibility with her unconventional personality. She played roles with strong characters in most of her films, like Sheetal in Manoj Kumar’s Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Rupa in Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, or Roma in Chandra Barot’s Don.

Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) in Manmarziyaan, is most definitely not your typical Bollywood heroine, whether it’s her confusion about love, the way she looked after her ancestral shop or her attitude to social norms. She owned up to her desires and mistakes and lived her life on her own terms. Kangana Ranaut, as Rani in Queen, made us enjoy her transformation from a shy, reserved girl to a woman who owns her life and her fledgling confidence grows over the course of the movie. From Jaya Bachchan to Ratna Pathak Shah, Bollywood mothers have time and again showed why they are the strongest characters in both reel and real life. Swaroop Sampat in Ki & Ka was probably the first Bollywood character to understand that it is okay for a man to sit at home while his wife worked. Sandhya Mridul in Angry Indian Goddesses was a career-oriented woman who never got away without a fight. She readily holds a gun and kills a rapist because the law would do nothing to bring justice.

Even before the liberated women of the 1970s personified by the likes of Zeenat Aman, there were amazing women in leading roles. Fearless Nadia was India’s first stunt girl. But, at the same time, we have women like Simran from Dilwale Dulhania Leh Jayenge; the iconic scene of a woman letting go of father’s running to her lover suggests nothing so much as a transfer of property from one man to another.

From Sajan Kaa Ghaar to Sarabjit the woman evolved as a sister. From Karan Arjun to Kahaani she evolved as a mother. From Dilwale Dulhania Leh Jayenge to NH10 she evolved as a lover. And as these roles evolved, there was a marked change in our society too. Women these days are indeed more independent. They know how to take care of themselves, to make decisions for themselves.

Bollywood now focuses on more woman-centric films. Films like Indian Cabaret, Margarita with a Straw and Pink might have employed the stereotype of the woman as a whore, but also showed her as empowered. Lipstick Under My Burkha politely says, “It takes balls to be a woman”. The film portrays women as autonomous, with real feelings, whether sexual or life desires.

Those desires and dreams are not guided by men. While Bollywood is making an effort to feminize its films it cannot consider the pervasive and entrenched patriarchy in Indian society, get too far ahead of its audience.

The post The journey of Bollywood heroines from ‘Abla’ to ‘Sabla Nari’ appeared first on Maverick Times.

By: Ankita Mukherjee

Patients suffer as ambulances do not reach on time due to heavy traffic congestion across the city.

Heavy traffic congestion in Bengaluru is preventing ambulances from reaching patients on time.

Hareesh G, an ambulance driver, informed: “From 9 am to noon and from 5 pm to 7 pm, we face the most traffic congestion. We try to get our way out, but if we get stuck in the middle of the congestion, we cannot make it. There are times when the patients’ families face a loss due to this.”

Venkatesh R, a cab driver, said: “Police try to clear the congestion to make way for ambulances. If an ambulance is caught in the middle of congestion, then nothing can be done. We try to make way for any emergency vehicle whenever we hear its siren.”

Masthan K, a motorist, shared: “Whenever I see an ambulance stuck in a traffic jam, I move out of the way and try not to block its path.” Traffic congestion is high at junctions under construction. Hudson Circle, Electronics City, and Shivajinagar also face heavy traffic congestions.

J Chandrasekhar Reddy, the Assistant Additional Commissioner of Traffic Management Centre said, “We have come up with ‘Green Corridor’ where the road becomes zero signal for organ transporting and we give green signal to the ambulances and send them to the proper destinations.” Dr. B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, the joint commissioner of police (traffic), informed: “Whenever an ambulance plays the hooter, people should move out of the place to make way for it, but some don’t bother. We should have more sensible people around us.”

Under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, if a vehicle blocks the way of an emergency vehicle, then the driver of that vehicle will be charged a fine up to Rs. 10,000. An ambulance of Marigold hospital, without its siren blaring, stuck in traffic for about two minutes. When questioned, the driver said he was on his way to pick up a patient. There is no traffic post near the Jayadeva junction, 500 meters from Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. BMRCL employees regulate traffic manually.

Suman Barwai, a BMRCL employee who controls traffic there, said: “It is a problem managing traffic manually. We shifted our traffic signal post due to Metro construction work. If any hooting ambulance comes, we try to make way for it. But it becomes difficult when there is a thick traffic jam. Because of this, ambulances get stuck.”

But there are exceptions always. For an instance in Kerala, Hasan, a driver of an ambulance of covered 400 km in just five and a half hours just to reach the hospital as soon as he could. A 15-day old child was in his ambulance. After asking him about the journey till the hospital, he replied that without the support and cooperation of everyone, he could not be made it to the hospital in time.

Dr. Ashish Verma, assistant professor of transportation systems engineering at IISc, observed: “It is the responsibility of each citizen to make way for ambulances. We can be sensible enough to leave space for ambulances so that the patients get proper treatment on time.”

Dr. Pannalal Saha, who works in a hospital, said: “At times, a patient’s condition becomes critical, and he dies due to not getting enough oxygen by the time he reaches a hospital. People should make way for emergency vehicles.

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By: Ankita Mukherjee

Vehicles from renting apps like Drivezy and Zoomcar are not in a good condition, riders complain. This increases the possibility of accidents.

Tourists who come to visit Bengaluru and the Bengalureans, due to the high cost of public transportation, prefer two-wheelers or four-wheelers on rent. Neither the bikes nor the cars are not up to the mark, customers are facing trouble.

“As the cost of public transportation is high, I decided to rent a bike from the Drivezy app. When I went to pick up my bike, it was not in the condition I thought it would be in. The brakes were not working properly and the body of the bike was dented. I asked them if they had any other option. They did show me other options, but those were not up to the mark either, so I had to go on the same bike. It was tough riding the bike,” Adrish Mukherjee, a resident of Kolkata who was visiting Bengaluru, informed The Observer.

Apurva Somaiya, who has lived in the city for four months, said: “I have used several rental bikes over the years and have seen one thing in common: They are poorly maintained and usually have more than one mechanical issue. Either the brakes don’t work or the engine leaks oil. This is dangerous for customers who are new to riding motorcycles. I wish corporates focused on customer safety….”

Samarth Kapoor, another resident of Bengaluru, said he finds the Drivezy service convenient, but they should focus on the maintenance of the bikes. Student Jai Iyer shared: “Drivezy cars and motorcycles are risky. My car tyre was punctured twice while I was traveling with my family on a weekend. Customer support wasn’t helpful.”

Faulty clutches, brakes that jam and defective tyres are blamed for accidents. Drivezy fleet executive officer Faiz said: “All bikes and cars are new and first-hand. We give our customers the best, but if the customers meet with accidents, then we can do nothing. Before handing our bikes to customers, we check them. After getting them back, we do maintenance.”

An officer of the Zoomcar app who didn’t share his name said: “We try to give proper vehicles to customers. But when we get them back, at times, they are in poor condition, maybe due to accidents. But we cannot confidently say that.”

A student who uses Zoomcar said the company collects Rs 5,000 as a security deposit. If a car meets with an accident, they do not refund it. A transport department official who did not want to be named said vehicle rental apps must install panic buttons, digital meters, and emergency panels. App owners should take permission from the RTO.

High court lawyer Sharmila Mishra told The Observer: “Two-wheelers should be taken off apps as they are too dangerous. They are not legal.”

Drivers of four-wheelers drive rashly, exposing them to the risk of accidents. “Bikers tend to Overspeed, causing skidding. Insurance companies should be liable for damage to the vehicle and customers. Rapido, Zoomcar and Drivezy should take permission….” The transport department should check the insurance documents and driving licenses of the rider, Mishra said.

The post Rental vehicles are faulty, users complain appeared first on Maverick Times.

By: Meghna Chowdhury

The information has power. From the time of printing press to the time of the internet, information has played a good role in shaping public opinion. Before the introduction of the newspaper, there was a lack of information; and now, thanks to new media, there is an information overflow. With so much information and news all over the internet, did you ever wonder, whether all of them are true or not? We consume information every second, without giving any effort to know about its origin and credibility and this, has created a problem of mass communication.

Fake news, information, videos, memes, etc. all have become a parcel of our lives. Fake news can be termed as Yellow Journalism, which holds no credibility and accuracy. It is a work of propaganda, that often leads to communal disharmony and riots. Facebook and WhatsApp have become the two major players in the Indian market, which is one of the fastest-growing net communications in the world. People spread information because it makes them look smarter than others. But when you share a meme or any piece of information that is misleading and doesn’t contain any truth then, not only do you look dumb, but you also spread unnecessary hatred.

One might have come across a picture of Abraham Lincoln along with his quote saying- “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet”. One mind finds this picture very convincing but what if I tell you about the fact that there was no internet when he was alive. Therefore, there is no way he could have said this. These days one can get a meme regarding everything. Every year during the time of elections enormous memes come up. Even though they are meant for only entertainment purposes, few of them can hold very powerful information, which can be misleading and damaging.

Fake information is not just about politics. It is about the entertainment industry as well. Recently, Millie Bobby Brown was attacked on the internet, after people began to throw homophobic things and photoshopped her into anti-gay pictures onto her posts and sharing them around the internet.
Few people were very angry and said that it is all wrong because it is not who Millie is. She deleted her account and took down various posts from social media. Another classic example of UNESCO declaring the National Anthem of India as the ‘best national anthem’ in the world. There is absolutely no truth to it. According to an article of TOI and various other articles- “No, UNESCO has not declared our national anthem ‘best in the world’. In fact, UNESCO has not declared national anthem of any country best in the world.”

Therefore, with all the above examples next time when you come across anything that you find interesting on the internet, think before you hit the like and share button. If you know something that you are reading is not true and have evidence to prove it, then report the post. Don’t just scroll down and ignore it. If you find something fishy about any post, make an effort to find out its original source. Find out what other posts and articles have been published by that source. Cross check and verify the information. We need to stop being gullible about everything we read on the internet. WhatsApp has restricted users from excessive forwards and Facebook is using artificial intelligence. Never share misleading information for fun. Be accountable and responsible for everything that you are doing online and make the internet a better place to surf.

The post Fake News: The Growing Parasite appeared first on Maverick Times.

The historical verdict of the 70-years dispute of Babri Masjid and birth-place of Lord Rama is now out. The SC has ordered the Centre to set up a trust to build a temple, as well as allot alternative five acres of land for the construction of a mosque. The decision was taken unanimously by 5-membered bench of judges, headed by CJI Gogoi.

The apex court has ordered the Centre to formulate a scheme in three months to set up a board of trustees for construction of a temple on the 2.77-acres of the disputed land. It has also ordered to allot the 5-acres of land to Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque. The court also said that the destruction of the mosque in 1992 happened in breach of SC orders. The desecration of the mosque by placing idols in 1949 and its demolition was contrary to the law, it added.

The Supreme Court (SC) also appreciated the efforts of the mediators in the Ayodhya mediation panel and said that they came very close to a “settlement”. A panel of mediators led by justice FMI Khalifullah had failed to reach a consensus in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute case. The inability of the panel to reach a consensus was followed by the Supreme Court convening a day-to-day hearing of the case and concluding the hearing procedure in 40 days.

In September 2010, the Allahabad High Court upheld the Hindu claim that the mosque was built on the spot believed to be Rama’s birthplace and awarded the site of the central dome for the construction of a Rama temple. Muslims were also awarded one-third area of the site for the construction of a mosque. The decision was subsequently appealed by all parties to the Supreme Court, wherein a five-judge bench heard a title suite from August to October 2019.

Mumbai, Bengaluru and many other cities levied Section 144 as a precaution when the Supreme Court announced the verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land title case in Ayodhya. Delhi Police also issued prohibitory orders across the capital. The Himachal Pradesh police have issued a warning against the circulation of fake news in the wake of the Supreme Court’s verdict. Strict penal action will be taken against those who indulge in the circulation of fake news, morphed pictures, doctored videos or any inflammatory material, said Solan Superintendent of Police Madhusudan Sharma in a statement on Saturday morning.

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