Saudi Arabia Heads UNHRC

                               As stated by the U.N. declaration of Human Rights in 1948 "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." The above declaration states that each and every human is entitled to certain basic human rights such as right to live, speech, freedom, justice, etc. irrespective of race,religion,color,creed and nationality and these rights are fundamental to human existence thus should be protected.

                          The sad part about honoring the simple basic rights enshrined in most countries constitution is the different interpretation of human rights and its protection. In some counties political and civil rights are not given or guaranteed to all its citizens or minorities while in some others, economic and social rights are not honored. To ensure promoting & implementation of rules safeguarding human rights international organizations like UN,Amnesty International and International Human Rights Commission(IHRC) were created and entrusted responsibility.

   Recent contentious appointment of Saudi Arabia  by the UN to head a key human rights panel United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has been deplored by human rights groups Worldwide. The reason being the disgusting human rights record of Saudi government. Saudi Arabia is notorious for worst kind of rights violations,repressive theocracy by discussing the open discrimination against women, public execution for petty crimes and harsh sentencing for government critics is cited as reasons by organizations for Saudi Arabia's omission from human rights panel. 

                        According to the Amnesty, rights activists are labeled as terrorists in Saudi Arabia and their trials continue. The fundamental human rights respected world wide are not adhered to by Saudi regime.The organization adds that Riyadh imprisons people merely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Amnesty has also slammed the Saudi regime for violating international laws through its unilateral aerial war on Yemen that  killed hundreds of innocent civilians.

  The wife of imprisoned free speech blogger Raif Badawi, Ensaf Haidar, called the appointment “scandalous” and said that it meant “oil trumps human rights”.Saudi Arabia has been accused of human-rights abuses for decades, from suppressing dissent to beheading people for homosexuality,drugs,adultery and minor crimes. Saudi regime is accused of using draconian,medieval era laws to silence dissent in there country.

Ensaf Haidar, wife of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi

                   With angry human rights organizations calling Saudi appointment preposterous there had been past instances when despite worst human rights violations, China together with Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cuba and Algeria won seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council. As UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said “It is scandalous that the UN chose a country that has beheaded more people this year than ISIS to be head of a key human rights panel, “Petrodollars and politics have trumped human rights.” 

                                                   Shia Activist Ali AlNimr 

                             Western governments are always being accused for dubious conduct on penalizing human rights offenders. Saudi Arabia is an important Western ally in an increasingly tumultuous middle eastern region and that implies Saudi Arabia's appointment to coveted UNHRC .

Caste System And Reservations

                               We live in a country where surname is important, its not your achievements but the family you are born decides one's social standing. Caste is a powerful tool of self-identification in Indian society. Caste based discrimination in India is as old as country itself.

                            India adopted constitution in 1950 and provided "reservations" to the most downtrodden caste groups in social hierarchy for there upliftment and thus imparting social justice and bringing equality. Idea to provide reservations was to bring equality,development and social unity among masses thus concluding that caste consciousness would slowly wither away with time. Reservations which was meant to provide equality and unify society, actually ended up increasing the wedge.

                          Reservations undoubtedly provided relief to a section of targeted caste groups(beneficiary) but failed to bring social unification or untangling caste web in our society, on the contrary it further complicated things parting wedge further. The problem, as all too often in India, is politics. Caste based politics is a potent tool in the hands of politicians exploited to the hilt. In electoral democracy "reservations" became an election tool in the hands of politicians for population mobilization. With fewer government jobs and dwindling economy nowadays there's a competition among caste groups to be declared backward and get under the ambit of reservation.

  Reservation policy was implemented for social,economical,constitutional and political empowerment of lower castes. The irony of reservation quota is, it divided the society even more as the unreserved castes either want the reservations cancelled or to be included in the quota themselves and current beneficiary castes protect their quota percentage and resist inclusion(dilution of quota) of any new castes into their category. With increasing population and lesser jobs, the scuffle to get enrolled through reservations is only going to vitiate social environment . The mad rush to declare there castes socially and economically backward is only going to accentuate further. Gujjars of Rajasthan, Patels of Gujarat, Jats of Haryana and Kapus of Andhra Pradesh are just the beginning with many more castes will unite as vote banks to arm twist government for advancing there cause.

Category as per Government of India	Reservation Percentage as per Government of India
Scheduled Tribes (ST)	7.5%
Scheduled Castes (SC)	15.0%
Other Backward Classes (OBC)	27.0%
Total constitutional reservation percentage	49.5%
General	50.5%

                              Providing reservations to section of society ( 15 per cent and 7.5 per cent for SCs and STs respectively) was a social experiment for uplifting deprived castes who were allegedly suppressed for generations with equal opportunities and social equality, but the trouble began in 1990, when Parliament passed a law reserving another 27 percent of government jobs for members of "Other Backward Classes".  It's important to know the basis for reservation to any caste and the benchmark setup to distinguish are obscure. In the mid-1990s,Rajasthan's Jats community applied for inclusion in backward-classes quota. They cited, among other things, 1931 census data revealed child marriage in their community was more prevalent than among other official backward castes. 

                                                                     Jat Agitation 

                                 The primary objective of Indian reservation system was to provide enhanced  social,economical and educational opportunities to underprivileged communities but with more affluent communities seeking pie of reservation quota,it actually defeats the objective of classless Indian society. With brain dead politicians at helm,numerical strength of communities and there prowess to unleash terror will be the benchmark for inclusion of specific community in reservation quota in future. The Patel's in Gujarat, Jat's in Haryana are testimony to quota agitation.

                                                            Patel Agitation 

                                  In present scenario when every caste is in haste to be branded backward and logic is overruled by politics, there's a need to analyze the impact of reservations on our society. We should determine whether the past practices of 65 years (reservations was initially proposed for 10 years) yielded desired results. Some people argue to include economically weaker sections irrespective of caste be granted reservation. One most formidable alteration to reservation quota would be to abolish prevailing reservation on caste and give free and quality education till 12th to all the deprived and poor sections of the society (any caste, creed or religion),full scholarship to meritorious  candidates irrespective of caste and religion.

                      

Pakistan's Preposterous Claims On Kashmir

                         Pakistan a "land of pure" was created by Muslim fanatics headed by Jinnah for subcontinent Muslims. The main objective to carve out an Islamic homeland was to provide safe and secure country for Muslims who were allegedly under threat from Hindu majority. Advancing there case of unifying Muslim majority(dominated) areas in Indian subcontinent , there's always an unending propensity of Pakistani establishment towards Muslim majority Kashmir valley and publicly highlighting annexation of Kashmir as there unfinished partition agenda.

                         Did Pakistan became a safe heaven for Muslims as envisaged by its creators ? We shall soon have some idea about the "Savior of Muslim" or "Pious land for Muslim" credentials of Pakistan as it vociferously propagates to gullible people around the globe.

                    

Bangladeshi Genocide 

                      
                      The idea of Pakistan was decimated with breakaway and independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Atrocities by Pakistani army on linguistically different Bengali population who were co-religionist eroded and ended the idea of one homeland for subcontinent Muslims. Many academics state that the first time rape was consciously applied as a weapon of war was during the Bangladesh War of Independence. The mass killings in Bangladesh whose figures varies between 2 to 3 million was the most concentrated act of genocide in the twentieth century by Pakistani establishment against Muslims and other minorities in Bangladesh . Rough estimate suggests that the number of the rape victims could be anywhere between 4 and 6 millions. The bifurcation of Pakistan in 1971 on linguistic bases and atrocities on Bangladeshi Muslims by Pakistanis defies the concept of creation of Pakistan on religious basis. 

                           

                        Shia Genocide 

                         Pakistani myth about Muslim homeland lies in tatters as Sunni Muslims attack and butcher Shias with impunity since 1980's . The sectarian violence against fellow Muslim sects is increasing by the day. Antagonism towards Shias by Sunni Muslims motivated numerous target killings and bomb blasts in Pakistan. According to human rights group over 4000 Shias were butchered in Pakistan between 1987-2007. Over 1,900 Shi’a (including Hazara and Ismaili) were killed in bomb blasts or targeted gun attacks from 2012 to May 2015 . Shias that numbered around 20% of Pakistani population are frequently persecuted by Sunnis in Pakistan.

                   Another Muslim community that's routinely persecuted inside Pakistan are Ahmadiyya Muslims. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community of the sub-continent, which migrated to Pakistan after partition. In 1974 Pakistan's parliament adopted a law declaring Ahmadis to be non-Muslims, they are forbidden to call themselves Muslim or to "pose as Muslims", there religious places are desecrated and are subjected to persecution and systematic oppression. 1953 Lahore riots, 1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots and May 2010 attacks on Ahmadi mosques in Lahore bare testimony to Anti-Ahmadiyya hatred and persecution in Pakistan.

                      Such is the hatred towards Ahmadis that theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam was shunned and sidelined in Pakistan because he was an Ahmadiyya Muslim.

                        

Sufi Islam which is another stream of Islam that preaches tolerance and peace is now under threat in Pakistan.Sufism’s influence on the literature, music, art and architecture of Islam is also immense thus contradicts the rigorous religion that is enveloping Pakistan today.Sufi festivals on shrines of saints are routinely attacked and desecrated.

                        While confronting Muslim insurgents in Baluchistan, Sindh, Gilgit etc. Pakistani army are notorious of oppressing Muslim inhabitants of these regions. Balcoh people are persecuted, abducted and systematically killed by Pakistani security agencies and the Pakistani Army. Baloch leaders like Shaheed Nawab Akbar Bugti, was attacked and killed along with his tribesmen in 2006 testifies intolerant Pakistani psyche . The busting myth of Pakistan for Muslims becomes crystal clear with "Operation Cleanup" a brutal state sponsored attack on the Karachi Muhajirs(Urdu speaking Muslim immigrants from India) in the early 1990s, both under Nawaz Sharif (1992) and then Benazir Bhutto (1993-4).  

 The diabolical Pakistani claims of harbinger of Islam and protector of its followers was at public display in Jordan in September 1970. Over 25,000 Palestinians were massacred by Pakistani 2nd Division in September 1970 under Brigadier Ziaul Haq who later ruled Pakistan. So much for the Palestinian and Muslim cause that Pakistan profess and propagates thus seek support of International community to usurp Kashmir after getting decimated in all the wars she initiated against India. 

                          Pakistan is at war with itself and countless insurgent groups, it doesn't have the moral or religious authority to question Kashmir unification with rest of India. The intolerant,violent Pakistani society is ruined and is on brink of civil war. She shouldn't be taken seriously as there is no merit in continuing dialogue with a failed state that doesn't recognize international treaties of past and should be left to fend of for herself.

                        

Women Empowerment Gone Awry

                             India they say is a patriarchal society (male dominated) that oppressed its women and so, our policymakers in there wisdom constituted laws to safeguard freedom & empower women that's half of our population. Whether the laws that were deemed draconian by section of society to protect freedom and safety of women were useful is debatable, but rampant misuse of gender biased laws is a growing concern. The frequent  misuse of anti-dowry and rape laws has initiated debate whether govt should amend such barbaric laws or not ?

                            

                   Empowering women through financial independence is prudent and praiseworthy as it teaches women, to rise above the fear and speak against the wrong. An educated women can better take care of her family and thus instrumental in strengthening the society.Unfortunately,freedom and women empowerment are the most misinterpreted, misunderstood and misused words in our society today, in most of the cases it is interpreted or compared with irregularities in lifestyle.  With increasing number of females getting education and absorbed in workforce there was felt an urgent need to protect them from unscrupulous elements thus legislating laws for there safety and well being. Similarly laws were made to end exploitation of women in marriage.

                           The growing concern in our society today is the frequent misuse of gender biased laws by women. Excessive amounts of freedom sometimes led to its misuse and the biggest irony is women are exploiting the same laws meant to protect them for settling personal scores in there relationships. It is imperative for lawmakers to understand that Indian society has transformed immensely, women have become westernized and easily walkout of relationships on frivolous issues with little or no inducement. Concocted and fabricated cases are leveled against men often with catastrophic results for men and his family. 

                                  After the infamous "Nirbhaya" case, women rights organizations vehemently advocated for more stringent harsher punishment for rapists. It's a common practice now, women who develop consensual physical relationship with their lovers and after the relationship goes sour file false rape cases to force(intimidate) guys to marry them. Such false cases make mockery of institution of marriage and deprecates our society immensely.A study of rape cases by Delhi Commission for Women in Delhi filed in a six month period found that the majority of rape cases (53+%) were false. This unacceptably high rate of false accusations has set an extremely dangerous precedent to the dignity and liberty of innocent men who are incarcerated without proper investigation merely on the basis of allegations and thus seriously undermines the credence of genuine rape victims.

                  

                             Another dangerous and unfortunate addition to this saga is the media itch to play adjudicator. Earlier, we witnessed mob justice in Nagaland when people lynched to death an alleged rapist in north eastern state of India. Mob justice dispensation on mere allegation of rape is a travesty of justice. Reports  of the alleged victim’s medical examination however pointed to the murdered man’s possible de facto innocence.

                   Another high profile case hogging limelight is the video of two infamous Rohtak sisters bravado of mercilessly beating a guy over alleged rape and molestation attempt. Dubbed by the media as “braveheart sisters” were felicitated by govt and certain social organizations only to realize later after investigation there bogus and  malicious conduct thus exonerating the victim(guy) . Newspapers are nowadays are riddled with such fictitious stories of allegations by girls,and after investigation such cases fell flat on substance.

                The role of media in such cases is questionable, horrific acts of violence on men and the vilification of men in general discourse is unfortunate. Media channels resort to passing stereotypes against men thus making situation more grim for men with each passing day. Crimes aren't gender dependent and to stem the wroth in our society, we need legal and social reforms rather legislating draconian laws making guys vulnerable to its misuse. We cannot end the problem of violence against women unless we eradicate the social problems that haunt the Indian society -- illiteracy, poverty and other social evils plaguing society. Biased and draconian laws that lead to false convictions of innocent men are not only unfair to men, but also to true rape victims and the society in general. 

                                       Advocating for equal rights for men and opposing women biased laws is the need of hour and shouldn't be construed as misogynist rather society should awake from slumber and in all fairness provide equal rights to men for securing the social fabric from deteriorating into chaos. Our legal system shouldn't be a mute spectator of ordeal to innocent men and his family while such vicious women after committing perjury go scot-free.