2 Millenium TodayNew Delhi, Wednesday 09 August, 2017

(English Daily)

Editorials

he issue of women’s safety comes under the national limelight

with shameful regularity. The recent incident of a woman being Tpursued at night by men in a car in Chandigarh is a reminder

that neither law nor public odium is a sufficient deterrent to such crimes.

Two men, one of them the son of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Haryana

State unit chief, have been booked for stalking the woman. They have

been released on bail; Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code, which

pertains to stalking, is a bailable offence. This has attracted the criticism

that the police did not invoke more stringent provisions. It is believed

that the police had originally sought to include sections relating to an

attempt to kidnap the woman, but dropped the idea. The use of a

particular section depends on whether the ingredients of the offence are

present in the actions of the accused. The onus is on the Chandigarh

police to show that available evidence is limited to the offence of

stalking. The claim that there is no closed-circuit television footage

from anywhere along the entire route needs investigating. The victim’s

presence of mind to call the police in time foiled her pursuers’ designs,

but not every woman may survive such an ordeal in the same manner.

This is one reason why the police, as well as family and friends of the

victim, ought to take complaints of stalking seriously, and act at an early

stage.

As crimes against women go, stalking is far too often dismissed as

harmless. However, it is important to understand how traumatic and

inhibiting it is for a woman to be pursued with unsolicited interest, and

for such stalking to be considered ‘normal’. There are times when

stalking contains the seed for a bigger, often violent crime. It should not

be forgotten that murders and acid attacks have had their origins in

stalking. It became an independent offence in 2013, when the country’s

criminal law was amended in the wake of the horrific gang rape of a

woman in Delhi in December 2012. The hope that expanding the rigour

and scope of penal laws would bring down crimes against women has,

unfortunately, been belied often since then. The Chandigarh incident

reveals that a sense of privilege, flowing as much from gender as

political influence, permeates the offenders’ actions. The victim’s father

is a senior civil servant, and it may not be easy to give this case a quiet

burial. However, there is another, in fact quite familiar, element: the

attempt by quarters close to the accused to cast aspersions on the victim.

One can only hope that society has advanced sufficiently to call out such

victim-shaming. Stalking tends to dominate the public discourse only

when it relates to well-known people or results in violence — this

episode should compel a deeper understanding of how widespread this

offence is, and how rarely offenders are brought to justice.

Printed, Published and Ownerd By Braj

Bhushan Rai From S-557, 1st Floor, Main

Road, School Block, Shakarpur, Delhi-

110092 and Printed at M/S Maruti Nandan

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G.T. Karnal Road Industrial Area, New

Delhi.

Editor: Braj Bhushan Rai

RNI No. : DELENG/2015/65362

he Indian rupee has turned out to be one of the best-

performing currencies in the world with a gain of well over T6% against the U.S. dollar this year to date. In fact, the

currency hit a two-year high of 63.60 last Wednesday, supported by

strong inflows of foreign capital. Around the beginning of 2017,

analysts were bearish on the rupee, predicting that it would breach the

70-mark by the end of the year. But strong capital inflow has managed to

turn the tide. According to the Reserve Bank of India, foreign portfolio

investors invested $15.2 billion in India’s equity and debt markets this

year until the end of July. In addition, foreign direct investment in April-

May doubled compared to last year. Such generous inflow of capital, of

course, is in sharp contrast to 2013 when the tightening of policy by the

U.S. Federal Reserve had rattled the rupee. This time around, emerging

markets have escaped any such taper tantrum as the Fed’s approach

towards tightening has been measured. Another major contributor to the

rupee’s strength is the RBI’s hawkish stance, which has pushed down

domestic retail inflation to a record low of just around 2%. This has

spilled over to influence the external value of the rupee as well. Oil

prices remaining stable at around the $50 mark too has helped as Indians

have had to shell out fewer rupees on oil imports. This is reflected in the

improved current account deficit, which stood at 0.7% of GDP in 2016-

17 compared to almost 4.8% in 2012-13.

Notably, worries about the impact of a strong rupee on exports have

risen in tandem — particularly in sectors such as pharma and

information technology. There is little doubt that an appreciating rupee

will affect the competitiveness of Indian exporters. In fact, it is

estimated by UBS that each 1% appreciation in the external value of the

rupee causes earnings of Nifty companies to drop by 0.6%. The

question, however, is whether it is sufficient reason to tinker with the

value of the currency in a way that makes it expensive for Indians to

import goods. After all, any protectionist action, particularly in today’s

low-growth global environment where countries look to steal growth

from each other, is likely to draw retaliatory action. This will not bode

well for the growth prospects of India or any other country. Exporters

should instead be pushed to adapt to the uncertainties of doing business

across borders. And the rupee’s improving external value should be

seen, at least in part, as a reflection of the improving quality of the

currency. The central bank has thus clearly done well for now by not

fiddling with the value of the rupee. At the same time, it would be

foolhardy to take things for granted. Going forward, tighter monetary

policy in the West will invariably exert more pressure on the rupee. The

RBI would then have to muster greater will to let the rupee find its

natural value.

Pursued by danger: on the Haryana stalking case

Raging rupee: resisting arguments for making the rupee cheaper

Flying from IGI may get costlier as hike in security cess likely

Millenium Today Millenium Today Millenium Today Millenium Today Millenium Today Millenium Today

Hit and run? Two Nepalese founddead on NH8NEW DELHI: Two men near their bodies. But a police officer said their

from Nepal were killed TVS Apache motorcycle teams are scanning of

in a suspected case of the two were riding was cameras installed on the

hit-and-run in south found missing from the route and at pr ivate

Delhi’s Mahipalpur on spot, police said. installations for clues.

Monday morning. Chinmoy Biswal, additional “Prime facie it appears their

Police said the bodies deputy commissioner of motorcycle was hit from

of the duo with multiple police (south), said at 7.29 behind probably by a

injuries were found on am a passerby spotted speeding car or truck.

the Gurgaon-Dhaula them and called the police There is a possibility that

Kuan stretch of NH8. control room. the two fell off their bike and

The two were identified A team from the Vasant their helmets came out of

as Devender Lama and Kunj North police station their heads. They suffered

Milan Rana, both in reached the spot and found severe head injuries and

their mid-20s. They the two men. died. The scratch marks on

were returning to Delhi “The two were rushed to a their bodies confirm that

from Haridwar. Lama nearby hospital where they skid on the road,” said

worked at a farmhouse doctors confirmed that they the officer.

in south Delhi while were already dead,” said But what happened to their

Rana used to work part Biswal. A case under bike and why it was missing

time. sections 279 (rash driving f r o m t h e s p o t i s a

Police said Lama’s or riding on a public way), something that has been

body was found on the and 304A (causing death by bothering the police as

roadside while Rana n e g l i g e n c e ) , w a s well. The missing has

was lying dead in a registered against an forced the police to probe

drain on the edge of the unknown driver. the homicide angle.

road. Their helmets Asked if they had found any

and a bag was found CCTV footage, a senior

NEW DELHI: If Delhi and to 350 if pending delayed payment...”airport has its way, charges are also to be Although salaries of CISF passengers travelling out cleared. It should further staff are not hit, it causes ill have to pay more to increase by ₹ 20 every a loss to the government.ensure they are secure at year to meet other The cost of deployment of the airport. expenses. CISF is borne by the The Delhi International The Central Industrial institution where it is Airport Limited (DIAL), Security Force (CISF) installed and the amount which operates g o e s t o a the Delhi airport, consolidated fund has said that o f t h e h o m e there is a need ministry . The to increase the MHA pays the p a s s e n g e r salary to CISF.s e c u r i t y f e e A PSF of 200 is (PSF) as they collected from are unable to each departing carry on dayto- passengers of day secu r i t y which, ₹ 130 is r e l a t e d collected towards

recently wrote to the civil operations. Currently, security costs while ₹ 70 aviation ministry asking e v e r y d e p a r t i n g is collected as facilitation their intervention in passenger pays 200. charge. In 2016-17, DIAL releasing payment dues “As there is severe collected ₹ 382 crore from DIAL.shortage of funds and in from passengers but paid The 59 airports which are case the deficit continues only ₹ 204 crore to the secured by the CISF, to build up like this, we CISF claiming rest of the owes ₹ 735.33 crore to shall not be able to meet amount is paid as loan the force, 90% (₹ 655.40 even the mandatory interest, service tax and crore) of which is due expenditure to maintain administrative charges.from DIAL.the security,” said DIAL in O v e r 4 , 0 0 0 C I S F The airport authority in a letter to the ministry. personnel are posted at return has said, “It is According to an estimate, Delhi airport and the unfair that DIAL is being PSF needs to increase to manpower is proposed to projected as responsible 300 to avoid any dues be increased.for non-payment or

Money and other invisible wallsAt the Government family. diffident. “My kids are Girls Senior Secondary Poverty hinders the more educated than School in Sangam schooling of Delhi’s me now,” he says. Vihar, some families children in blunt ways, “How do I help them out say they know the such as forcing them to at home? All I do is ask secret to academic drop out and take a job, them once in a while s u c c e s s : s c h o o l but it also puts them at how they are doing at m a n a g e m e n t a disadvantage in school, if they have committees. s u b t l e r r e s p e c t s , done their homework. “My kids are now more d e c r e a s i n g t h e That is all.”responsible, because involveonly ment and Yet Chandrashekhar’s they know I can talk to interest of parents. The son, Arvind, who is in their teachers,” says s t o r y o f Class 9 at Sarvodaya Mahindra Devi , a Chandrashekhar ’s Bal Vidyalaya, says he committee member family exemplifies the benefits from personal whose daughters are m u l t i p l i c i t y o f attention from his studying in Class 7 and challenges posed by father. “When my 9. financial burdens to father asks me about Banwari Lal Sanu, g e t t i n g a g o o d school, it makes me a n o t h e r m e m b e r, education in Delhi. feel like he cares. It agrees. His daughter, TIME TO TALK matters what I do and Khushboo, used to be School management how I perform in “a little irresponsible” c o m m i t t e e s a r e school. I think I work and “get distracted supposed to exist at extra hard on the days easily”. But after Sanu every school in India. he asks.”joined the committee, First established by the Saransh Vaswani, the Khushboo scored a 98 2 0 0 9 R i g h t t o co-founder of Saajha, a in her Class 12 board Education Act, they’re n o t - f o r - p r o f i t exam for economics. meant to consist, in organisation that works She’s now pursuing a Delhi, of 12 parents, to enable parents to B C o m a t D e l h i the school principal, a par t ic ipate in the University’s School of r e p r e s e n t a t i v e l e a r n i n g o f t h e i r Open Learning. nominated by the local c h i l d r e n a n d t h e N o t a l l p a r e n t s , MLA, a social worker, School Management however, feel quite the and a teacher who runs Committees, confirms s a m e w a y . the group. t h a t f r e q u e n t C h a n d r a s h e k h a r , Together, they help interactions of the right whose daughter, Nikki, solve large problems kind between parents i s i n C l a s s 1 2 , about matters such as and s tudents are appreciates going to school infrastructure crucial — no matter committee meetings and smaller problems how educated the when he is invited, but faced by individual parents are.also feels somewhat students, teachers or “It’s okay if you are not unwelcome. He says parents. literate,” he says. “You he’d never thought In taking advantage of could interact with your about joining himself. t h e m a n a g e m e n t child while you are “How do I just walk up commi t tee a t the cooking, talk to them to them and ask them Sangam Vihar school about shapes and to make me a part of — known locally as the colours. We have even the committee? I was pahadi school — Devi given parents and not even aware of the and Sanu hit on the s t u d e n t s s i m p l e procedures.” same insight: that their worksheets to fill out Chandrashekhar (who kids’ success would be together. Simple things d o e s n ’ t u s e a driven by a sense of like, match the ‘ba’ with surname) is not alone personal investment ‘batak’.”in feeling insecure and from their parents and B u t l i k e i g n o r a n t w h e n accountability from Chandrashekhar, his confronting his kids’ themselves. wife, Vimala Devi, and education. Like many “Every time a parent his other child, Jyoti, parents of kids at asks how the student is 21, also work long government schools, doing, they do better,” hours at intensive jobs, C h a n d r a s h e k h a r says Sanu. “As SMC leaving them with only makes ₹ 3 ,000 to members, we have a so much time and ₹ 7 , 0 0 0 a m o n t h direct channel with energy to interact with working at a factory; their teachers, too. So N i kk i and A rv i nd Sanu, converse ly, kids know that we are afterwards. Vimala obtained a BA, runs a not only reliant on their Devi and Jyoti each mechanical garage words to know how work at a garment with a few employees, they are performing. I fac to ry in Okh la . and makes ₹ 50,000 a can easily ask their Vimala Devi makes month. According to teachers.” Both Sanu ₹ 6,000 a month; Jyoti s o m e t e a c h e r s , and Devi agree that makes ₹ 7,000. They experts and parents g e t t i n g t o k n o w work from 8am until themselves, the more teachers cultivates in 8 p m m o s t d a y s , financially constrained their children a certain leaving Nikki to do parents, the less likely sort of productive household chores in they are to join school “fear”. a d d i t i o n t o t h e i r m a n a g e m e n t Where Sanu and Devi schoolwork.c o m m i t t e e s a n d a r e a s s e r t i v e , advocate for their Chandrashekhar is

NEWDELHI: When his to his mother’s aid. more force. My mother did father Praveen Taneja By the time he reached not move after that,” said began thrashing his downstairs where the the boy.mother Minakshi at her assault was playing out, As Taneja walked out of m a t e r n a l h o m e o n his father had already the home with the knife in Saturday afternoon, the picked up a knife. When h i s h a n d s , s o m e 10-year-old son thought it the boy tried to intervene, neighbours walked in and was one of the usual his father allegedly pulled opened the door to let the bursts of domestic abuse him by his hand and boy out. He rushed to his h i s m o t h e r f a c e d locked him in a room. “I mother to see if she was frequently. He realised his could do nothing from still breathing, but she had mother ’s life was in inside,” said the boy who died by then.d a n g e r o n l y w h e n could see the murder take Police said the two boys Minakshi began shouting place through a window. are being counselled. out to him for help. “My father then cut my “ B o t h b o y s a r e The boy and his four-year- mother’s throat using a traumatised. One of them old brother were on the knife. She fell on the floor witnessed the murder and f i r s t f l o o r o f t h e i r and wr igg led wh i l e the other saw his mother grandparents’ home in holding her neck. She being cut and crushed,” south Delhi’s Badarpur could not speak anything said an investigator.when Taneja began the after that,” the boy said. For now, the kids are bloody assault on his 30- The man then picked up under the care of their year-old wife. the cooking gas cylinder grandparents. “The boys’ The younger boy was a n d r e p e a t e d l y mother anyways wanted asleep at that time. bludgeoned his wife with to leave them in her “When my father attacked it. “He picked up the parents’ custody. She did my mother, she began cylinder and threw it on not want them to witness shouting to me for help,” my mother twice, but she her husband regularly the boy told the media. As was alive and continued beat her,” he said.his younger boy slept to struggle. The third time, soundly, this boy ran down my father hurled it with

Woman cried out to son for help as husband slashed her throat

Withdraw from Doklam to avoid a showdown: PLAHUAIROU: Senior Col Li Li of the determination,” he told Indian People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may journalists.be thousands of kilometres away T h e v i s i t i n c l u d e d a r a r e from Doklam but has a stern demonstration of PLA’s combat skills message for the Indian Army — before the Indian media.withdraw from the Chinese territory Li, however, clarified that the to avoid confrontation. demonstration had no reference to A visit by Indian journalists, Doklam where China says Indian sponsored by the Ch inese troops still stayed put.government, on Monday turned into “In addition, there are still a large a propaganda exercise by the number of Indian armed forces Chinese Army for delivering its congregating on the boundary and message on the prolonged standoff on the Indian side of the boundary,” between troops of the two countries Chinese foreign ministry had said in Doklam . earlier.Sr Col Li claimed, “What the Indian Responding to questions on the troops have done is an invasion of impasse in Doklam, he said, “What Chinese territory.You can report the PLA will do depends on the about what the Chinese soldiers are actions of the Indian side. We will thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try take appropriate action when it is my best to protect territorial integrity. necessary.”We h a v e t h e r e s o l v e a n d

Those who want to quit SP, shouldleave without an excuse: AkhileshLUCKNOW: In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in “bad times”.Referring to the “excuses” put forward by the three MLCs — Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singh — while leaving the party, Yadav said, “Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad.