Vol 12, Issue 10

Vol.12 Issue 10

Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore

Hospitals unite to fight child abuse

11 October 2012

Steroids abuse puts lives at risk

Sellers cash in on students’ high

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14 year-old exploited by Bangalore metro railway past four months and lives with his friends in a temporary shack just behind the project site.

Sidharth Shekar

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young boy hired to help build Bangalore’s metro railway claims he was employed when he was just 13-years-old.

MrAslam Khan, the site supervisor, denied the accusations that he had hired underage workers.

Shiva Chandra turned 14 last month. He says he has been working on the Mysore Rd metro site for the past four months.

He said: “Our workers are not underage and it’s the labour department that handles it, so I can’t comment on it further.”

The youngster, from Andhra Pradesh, was just nine when he ran away from home. He has been working and living on the streets ever since.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 prohibits the employment of children under 14 years of age. Shiva was hired by a sub-contractor who pays him just 80 rupees a day.

He lives in a rusty shack with other youngsters brought in to help build the jewel in the crown of Bangalore’s transport network.Supervisors at the site admitted hiring Shiva but deny breaking the law and declined to comment further on the issue of child labour.

Labourers are also recruited from neighbouring states like West Bengal, Orissa, UP and Andhra Pradesh as they will work for less.

Shiva working on a section of the metro.

Children working on the building site are not given any hard hats or protective clothing.

With the influx of migrants into Bangalore in search of jobs, the problem of child labour is on the rise.

Shiva said: “My father used to

- Sidharth

beat me badly after drinking, he didn’t even spare my mother whenever she rushed to save me from him, and I was tired of all this so I ran away.” He now works at Bangalore’s Namma Metro project site at Mysore Rd and turned 14 just last month. He has been working there for the

MrAnil B.Shedbal, HRD Officer with the BMRCL said: “We source labour, both skilled and non-skilled from private labour firms, so it’s up to them to check that any labour provided should not be under age. It’s in the contract which they have to abide by.”

Shiva and others like him work long hours in polluted environments without so much as a face mask.

According to one of the doctors,

every month the Victoria Hospital admits 25 to 30 migrant labourers suffering from acute respiratory problem.

The state government hasn’t recognised the migrant labourers so they are not entitled to any health benefits and they continue working unofficially under hazardous conditions.

BOSCO is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) working with the Young at Risk in the city of Bangalore since 1980. This month alone they say they rescued 67 children from Bangalore sweatshops but they have no information regarding children working on the metro project.

“Children whom we rescue are mostly from other states. They come here in search of jobs and end up working in any small factory or roadside eatery doing menial jobs,” said Mr Jayanth, spokesperson from the NGO. When contacted, the State Labour Department said that they were unaware of child labour at metro construction sites.

Poor children perform life threatening stunts to earn living

By Sumit

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hildren as young as seven are risking their lives for money in a travelling circus.

A troop of stunt artists from Maharashtra are performing in the villages of Gonipura, Aagra, Golahalli and Kumbalgudu.

Some of the stunts performed by the young members of this troupe pose a threat to their lives.

These stunts include rolling a stone road roller over the abdomen of a young teenage performer, breaking stone slabs with the forehead and eating tube lights.

The troupe performed on Tuesday at the Thalghatpura village. It included performers as young as seven. The main event of the show was the road roller being rolled over the abdomen of a performer.

Anwar, a young boy of 16 was the artist who performed this feat.

Visibly shaken after his performance, Anwar said, “Earlier I used to be afraid while doing these stunts. But now I have got an

idea to maintain my nerves, however, there are times I feel nervous.”

When asked about the reason behind performing such risky stunts, Anwar blamed his financial status for this. “I have never been to a school. Instead of taking up some menial job, I decided to earn my bread by giving my best,” explained Anwar.

The troop consists of 60 members including women and young children. They select a village randomly and set up their tents at the village school or municipal grounds. Almost every member of the troop performs when the stunts begin.

Children, who are far below the statuatory employable age, perform daring stunts which can jeopardize their lives. They are either forced to do so by their parents or they have no other option like in the case of Anwar.

Unlike Anwar, Jameel, had a chance to study but his parents had another plans for him. “Our entire family performs these

stunts throughout the state. We don’t stay at one place so we can’t afford to send him to school” was the reason given by Jameel’s father, Mohammad said. Jameel is only seven now.

He performs some of those daring stunts apart from collecting money from those who visit the show.

There have been incidents when members of the troop have suffered minor injuries. According to 35 year old Jaishankar, a lead performer, “minor accidents are not a big thing but we feel very proud of our performers as there has never been a case when any performer suffered even a fracture.”

Just because accidents have not occurred does not mean that these performances do not involve risk. “Abdominal muscles are very sensitive. There is always a risk of the ribs getting fractured under the weight of the roller. There is a possible threat to life if the lungs or heart are in the pressure area of the roller” said Ramakrishna, a docto

Children performing dangerous stunts.

- Sumit

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The Weekly Observer

11 October, 2012

Hospitals unite to fight child abuse

By Urmi Sengupta

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ajor hospitals in the city have joined forces to curb the growing number of child abuse cases.

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ops have banned women from working in nine bars in Bangalore amid fears of prostitution and provocative dancing.

The Supreme Court gave a green light to the employment of women in bars in 2006.

A special dress code has been made mandatory for women who work in bars in the city to prevent indecent activities.

Sashikala Shetty, Project Director, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (I.C.P.S) of the Women and Child Development department said: “Though this plan is in its initial stage, still Critical Trauma Care Centre had been set up in the hospitals in collaboration with Enfold India for the child abuse victims. Helpline number is also available in order to rescue abused children from various places.”

Over 75 bars in Bangalore provide employment to women, for many of whom, it is the only means to meet ends.

Bar dancers are illegal in Bangalore. Most of the women hired in the bars here belong to other cities, primarily Chandigarh, Delhi and Kolkata.

“I am the sole earner in my family and every month I have to spend a specific amount to them to run the house. How will my family survive if they take away our means of earning?” said Promona, a bartender.

She also said: “Hospitals like Bowring hospital and St.Johns are in the process of training doctors.”

“But less than 5% of the cases are registered at the hospital.”

She added.

When asked about the training provided to the doctors on child abuse she said: “Under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) by the Government of India, Karnataka govt has asked Enfold Trust to create a module for training medical personnel in child protection. This is approximately 40 hours of intensive and convergent training with faculty from paediatrics, obstetrics, forensic experts, lawyers, child

Trauma care centre for children at IGCH.

- Urmi

psychologists and organisations working with children.”

ety is antagonistic towards such education.”

“I think society does not take child abuse seriously enough. I believe that the effects of child abuse are devastating on the child, the family and society in general. Intergenerational abuse also continues to cause harm.” She added.

Other NGOs like BOSCO, APSA organisation; MSV had also showed interest in this plan and have come up to help the children.

She also said: “No specific program had been launched by the government in order to raise awareness in the society.

But, sex education is an excellent method to bring knowledge of personal safety to children through school and non-school based programs.

However these programs have been banned by various state governments and even civil soci-

Ms.Khusi, an expert on child development said: “Most of the cases go unnoticed and unregistered as the parents are not aware of child abuse.”

She also says that abused children often come to the hospital, complaining of minor ailments like stomach pain and fever, in order to escape the abuse they receive at home.

“Usually the child has behavioural issues like bedwetting, inexplicable anger, becoming an introvert, violence, sudden tears,

overeating or refusing food, fear of the dark, fear of certain people, refusal to attend school,” she said.

“In most of the cases the parents realise that a very close friend or a relative has abused their child,” said Shetty.

She also said: “The training provided to the doctors, helps them recognise and understand these cases. They get trained to counsel the victim properly, so that the child can get back to a normal life as soon as possible.”

“Families with marital discord, domestic violence and substance abuse, particularly alcoholism, have a higher risk of child abuse occurrence.” She added She also said: “The program is at an extremely nascent stage and

Painkillers unavailable to the terminally ill

By Rohan D. Premkumar

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orphine, the drug used to alleviate pain among the terminally ill, is unavailable at pharmacies in Bangalore.

For the vast majority of the terminally ill in Bangalore, treatment for diseases like cancer and HIV is inaccessible, either due to high treatment costs or the lack of accessibility to palliative care.

Drugs like Vicodin and Morphine, which are cost-effective alternatives used to relieve pain in patients where the disease has progressed beyond treatable limits, are difficult to procure from pharmacies in the city.

Cops ban women from working in bars

By Amrita Ray

Child protection units have been set up in various government as well as private hospitals like M.S. Ramaiah Hospital, Baptist Hospital and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Hospital in order to support child abuse victims.

Dr. Shaibya Saldanha, Cofounder of Enfold trust, Chief Resource faculty, Collaborative Child Response Unit (CCRU) program of DWCD-ICPSUNICEF said: “53% of the children in India are victim of sexual abuse, while 88% are victims of physical abuse and 66%, of emotional abuse.”

City

the big cancer hospitals. That is why we want the drugs, so that we can help manage her pain, without getting her treated fulltime at the hospital.”

“Karunashraya”, an organization which provides free palliative care in the city, records an average of 80-90 admissions every month. The center’s resident doctor, Kumar Velan, said doctors are reluctant to prescribe drugs like morphine as they believe patients develop a dependence on the drug after prolonged or sustained usage.

Meanwhile, pharmacists in Bangalore claim that the strict government controls on the storage and sale of morphine dissuades them from selling the drug.

The daughter of a patient diagnosed with cancer, who did not wished to be named, said; “My mother goes through tremendous amounts of pain every day. Even with a prescription from a doctor, we cannot find these drugs in the pharmacies.”

“There are excise laws which govern the sale of morphine. In order to sell them, we have to get a number of clearances from the authorities,” said Mahesh, proprietor of a pharmacy on Residency Road.

“We cannot afford treatment at

“I don’t believe that there is a sin-

gle pharmacy in Bangalore which sells morphine,” he added.

Morphine, classified as a Schedule 2 drug under the Indian Con-

“

I don’t believe that there is a single pharmacy in Bangalore which sells morphine.

”

- Mahesh, proprietor of a pharmacy on Residency Road. trolled Substances Act, has a number of government controls and regulations to prevent it from being misused.

“When a morphine injection is sold, the vial has to be returned to the manufacturer, in order to maintain a vigil on the number of injections being sold,” said Ma-

hesh.

The storage of intravenous morphine injections and tablets are also proving problematic for pharmacists. Mahesh says that morphine addicts even track down pharmacies which sell the drug, and harass pharmacists to sell the drugs to them.

“Many untoward incidents also happen when Morphine is stored in pharmacies. Some people, when they find that the pharmacy stores and sells morphine, harass the owners of the pharmacy to sell it to them,” he said.

The sale of morphine also requires the pharmacist, the buyer and the doctor to have a copy each of the prescription. “The prescriptions must be made out in triplicate. We need to show these to the authorities. These regulations usually make pharmacists wary of selling the drug,” said Balasubramanian, a former sales executive for a drug company.

In a recent raid the police had banned a few bars from even hiring women. This had been as per the orders of DCP Sidramappa.

This raid has affected the livelihood of more than a hundred women, as per reports.

Inspector Virupaksha of Upparpet police station said, “We had banned nine bars from employing women in the area between Majestic-Gandhinagar, because they promoted illegal activities.”

“When the court has no issues with women being employed in bars, why are the police creating such bans? I agree that a few bars may be promoting such activities but one cannot generalize and take away the livelihood of these women.” said Padma Chidambaram of Ashraya women’s center.

“This is rubbish; nothing illegal goes in our bar. We never indulge in any such activities”, said Anthaswamy, manager of Oxygen bar.

Abhinash, a regular bar visitor said,” I think these bans are justified. These girls often lure customers with false promises. Each girl earns thousands of rupees every month from five to six customers by emotionally blackmailing them.They demand expensive phones, jewelry and even air tickets at times, after befriending them.”

Hitesh Srivastav, a software engineer said, “The concept of bar dancing is considered to be alien to Bangalore, but it takes place in many pubs and bars, though it is kept tightly under wraps. Not only the area around Majestic but a few pubs in Koramangala, also promote such activities. The police are often bribed to keep these bars going.”

He added that at a party that he attended recently in the city, three to four bar girls were hired to entertain the invitees. He said that these girls were said to be hired from one of the bars in Bangalore, though he refused to disclose the name of the bar.

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11 OCTOBER, 2012 City

The Weekly Observer

Sellers cash in on students’ high

Kidnapping cases: 75% remain unsolved in Bangalore

By Kriti

O

nly 93 kidnapping cases out of 317 registered were solved in Bangalore this year.

According to the numbers revealed by Mr. H. D. Ananda Kumar, DCP of City Crime Report Board, only 93 kidnapping cases out of 371 were detected this year which shows that 75% of the kidnapping cases are still unsolved.

According to the reports revealed by the State Crime Records Bureau, 573 cases were registered in 2011 out of which 206 were reported to involve the abduction of women and girls.

However, ACP Jithendranath of Control Crime Branch denied such rise in kidnapping cases and said that almost all kidnapping cases are solved in Bangalore. “Only some cases which involve murder are very tough cases to break. But otherwise all are solved,” he said.

When asked about why there were so many reported kidnapping cases in Bangalore, he blamed it on the population and rowdies in the city.

Last year, 573 kidnapping cases were reported and only 243 of these cases were solved. In 2010,

Not to be sniffed at; huge profit for shopkeeper selling whiteners

By Vintu tomers.

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city shopkeeper is cashing in on students sniffing whiteners.

The storekeeper, Jagadish, sells as many as 10 to 15 bottles of toxic whiteners everyday in front of a prominent college in Bangalore.

“The stuff gets sold as soon as the stock reaches here. Students rush to purchase them no sooner they come to learn about the arrival of the stock. They are ready to procure a piece even for Rs. 50 or 60,” said Jagadish.

Kores Erazex correction fluid with diluter is stored in bulk by shopkeepers and sold for double the price near R.V. College, Kengeri.

Another shopkeeper said: “They never question the price but react if the stuff is out of stock. Around fifty bottles of substance is sold daily. ”

Hundreds of students from the college and nearby educational institutions are attracted and addicted to inhaling this erasing fluid as it drugs them fast to a high ‘kick’.

“Whitener is quite cheap, readily accessible and gives good ‘kick’.

We cannot afford drinks or drugs that cost more:” said Manohar, a student who is addicted to inhaling Kores Erazex.

The shops sell the whitener at a higher price than the MRP because of the great demand for it among the students. The fluid, which costs only Rs. 30, is often sold at higher prices to willing cus-

There is a high demand for Kores Erazex among youngsters as it is cheap, easily available and gives a quick ‘high’.

This correction fluid contains toluene, a solvent that can harm the Central Nervous system (CNS).

“Inhaling of Kores Erazex creates havoc in the nervous system and affects memory power, coherence capacity and reaction time,” said Sri Vidya, a researcher at NIMHANS. Asked about the issue, Mr. Vasudev Sharma, a member of Karnataka Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KCPCR) said,

only 234 out of 513 cases were reported to be solved.

According to Mr. Shreenath, Additional commissioner of Police in North Zone, most of these kidnapping happen because of ransom for money.

Mr. Murli, Police Inspector in Ashok Nagar Police Station also mentioned that most of the kidnapping cases are for ransom. Another main reason was because of the property issues where relatives and known people are involved in kidnapping.

“If we have clues, then it’s easy to find the person behind kidnapping and the case continues for years. If not, then the case is temporarily close until it’s reopened,” he said.

When asked about the figures from the Joint Commissioner of Crime, Mr. Mohanty, he said, “So called kidnapping cases are not really kidnapping.” He added: “Children elope on their own will but their parents report these cases as kidnapping”.

According to him, most of the cases are still under investigation and some cases are not closed in court itself.

- Vintu “In the days of computers and digitization, I wonder whether there is a need for manufacturing so much of these so called whiteners, which is a basic office stationary.”

“There is an acute need to lobby with the health department and the Child Rights commission to ban sale of these materials to children by any sellers,” Mr. Sharma said.

“These may have to become scheduled material and sold only by licensed shops who have to sell them responsibly,” he added.

Alongside whitener, cigarettes and tobacco are also sold in the shops that are within 100 yards of R. V. College.

Section-6 of the ‘Prohibition of Sale of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products around Educational Institution Rules, 2004’ forbids cigarette and other tobacco products being sold in the area within a radius of 100 yards of any educational institution.

But vendors near the college make a lot of money from selling these substances and are unwilling to follow the directive.

Residents fume over plans to construct low income housing

By Pyusha Chatterjee

Poor).

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He also said that the government had provided over Rs. 500 crore for developing housing colonies for slum dwellers who reside there illegally.

esidents protested to BBMP over plans to build shelters for slum dwellers in an area earmarked for a park.

According to a report, the BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) has decided to build house for slum dwellers in an area in J.P. Nagar.

The BBMP public relations officer, Dr. Khandre stated that building houses for slum dwellers is a part of a project called the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Machine) and comes under a scheme called the BSUP (Basic Services for Urban

He added that they have rebuilt seven to eight slums into housing colonies.

He also said: “We have built beautiful housing colonies in place of slums in many areas.”

They could not do more as some slum dwellers opposed the projects and have refused to leave.

They opposed the project fearing that they would be rendered home-

less.The area earmarked for a park is a civil community site and BBMP proposed to use half of it for a housing colony.

However, the residents protested as they didn’t want a colony consisting of slum dwellers near a public park.

On asking Dr. Khandre about BBMP’s decision, he said: “We have stopped the work for now as we do not want to go against the citizen’s wishes.”

He added: “We are searching for another place to make a housing colony for the slum dwellers. We are also trying to convince the residents.”

Rhetoric

-Sidharth

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The Weekly Observer

11 October, 2012

A risky road home for Nayandahalli residents

City

Broadband connections delayed

By Shreya

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here have been problems at the Jayanagar Telephone Exchange related to Broadband connections.

By Priyanka

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t least three people are killed a month trying to cross a dangerous railway track.

The residents who want to get Broadband connections have to suffer the procedure of getting a new connection to their homes or commercial establishments.

Every month three to four accidents are registered at the local railway police station as the residents have no other way to cross the railway track to reach their village in Nayanadahalli.

There are many connections which are pending till date. When asked about this problem, Mrs. Jyothi, exchange-in-charge of Jayanagar Telephone Exchange, said: “We try to provide new connections as soon as possible, but the whole process of verification of address takes a lot of time and thus it gets delayed.”

Residents of the area previously asked the authorities to construct a road over the railway tracks, but their pleas failed to bring about any change.

The village is right beside Mysore Road. But for people to walk down to their homes, they have to either opt for the Ring Road, which requires a lot of time to commute over, or, they can choose to traverse the dangerous railway tracks.

“Every month two or three people get killed while crossing the railway track. We can’t help from using the track as it takes less time from our village to the bus stop. Otherwise we have to use the Ring Rd which we usually avoid due to the distance,” said Abdul Jabbar, a resident and a tool mender from the locality.

The railway tracks and the adjacent property belongs to the central government. Thus eventually they become responsible if any accident occurs. But when the villagers alerted the government

people crossing the railway track to their village. about the increased number of accidents, they were snubbed by the government authorities.

“We repeatedly informed the central government to take an initiative and build a path for the sake of the villagers, but they always ignored us. They don’t even care how many of us die or how unsafe the track is,” said Abdul.

Sayed Aslam Pasha, a shopkeeper in the locality, expressed how inconvenient it is to walk from the main Rd to the village.

He said: “We have to cross the railway track as it takes few minutes. The railway gate was

opened before, but recently it has been closed due to the increased number of accidents. But it has not helped in any way, as people still use it and it rather adds to the trouble.”

The residents of the locality said that they complained to the BBMP and even their counselor tried to solve the issue. But their problem remained and the officials maintained their apathy towards their grievance.

Though a road has been paved out through Ring Road which connects Mysore Rod, people avoid using it as it takes up a lot

-Priyanka of time. On the other hand, the way through the track saves a lot of time and hence it is used by most. H.S. Rajheshwari, the counsellor of Nayanadahalli couldn’t be contacted at her office or at home for comment.

Santosh, a resident from the locality said: “We are facing the problem for a long time. Though an over bridge is being constructed, it will take one year to get completed. Till then we have to wait.

It might be a bit useful for two wheelers but for pedestrians it will hardly make any difference.”

Steroid abuse puts lives at risk says, skin allergies are one of the most common side effects of steroids. “Red spots, itching sensation or inflammation are very common side effects. Anxiety is also common but we refer such cases to the neurology department” said Mr. Ravi.

The long term effects can be far more dangerous, sometimes resulting in the death of patients.

“An excessive use of steroid or using it under no proper medical guidance can have disastrous effects on health,” said Dr. Ravishekhar.

It is not that the young people using these steroids or supplements are not aware of their side effects. They have their own sets of reasons to justify it. Pasha, a budding model said, “I have to depend on supplements as home cooked food is not enough for my fitness regime.”

A shop selling anabolic supplements

By Sumit

Y

oung Bangaloreans are risking their lives in the pursuit of the perfect body.

The trend of being fit has taken over the city. With gyms at almost every corner in Bangalore, the youth have easy access to fitness centers. But the pursuit of body building is also proving dangerous in some ways. The short cut to gain a muscular look is enticing many young people to depend upon anabolic supplements and steroids.

With the working class mostly comprising the young, the city

has changed from being a ‘pensioner’s paradise’ to a ‘working man’s heaven’.

steroids should be avoided as they have numerous short and long term effects.

Anand Aiyyar, a gym instructor at Vishy Fit gym in Kormangla said: “The increase in the young population and the trend of being fit combined together and it gave way for opening up of gyms.”

“We never suggest steroids from our end. Hard work is our motto and we tell the same to those working out at Talwalkar’s” said Kranti.

The fitness mania gripped the city around two years ago. “The youth are restless. For quick results, they start seeking supplements and sometimes steroids,” explained Kranti, fitness instructor at Talwalkar’s gym.

According to Kranti, anabolic

But sadly, these supplements and steroids are available at many shops and retail outlets in the city. “The shop owners neither ask for prescriptions nor do they avoid selling these banned steroids,” said Kranti.

Going by what Ravishekhar, a skin specialist at a city hospital

Similarly, Naser, an IT employee cited the lack of time for depending on steroids. “It is very difficult to manage time for hitting the gym in my schedule. So, apart from working out, I also take some supplements” he said.

The real problem lies with the easy accessibility to steroids and supplements. One doesn’t require an expert’s advice to get such medicines. They can easily get it from shops, medical stores etc. in the city. Steroids, taken under medical guidance or prescribed by an expert can be a great help but when taken as a short cut, it can prove detrimental to health.

There are many cases pending.

Those who want to get new connection are clueless about when they will get them.

A local resident Anand Swami said: “I am coming to the Jayanagar exchange regularly for the past one month. The officials keep on telling me that I will get a new connection very soon but the actual case is very different from what has been promised to me.”

Swamy went onto say, “both my sons are engineering students and I need the Broadband connection quickly but, I don’t know what to do. I am tired of coming here again and again.”

The Jayanagar Telephone exchange fails miserably to provide the service to people.

The Observer Team IIJNM PUBLICATIONS Opp. BGS International Residential School Nityanandanagar, Kumbalgudu Kengeri Hobli Bangalore - 560060 India Ph.No: +917760756622 Email: editor@iijnm.org Website:www.thesoftcopy.in For private circulation only

Editor Kriti Khandelwal Chief Sub-Editor Amrita Ray Photo Editor Sidharth Shekar Page Editors Deepu Aby Varghese Nikita Malusare Priyanka roy Vintu Augustine Proof Readers Rohan D. Premkumar Pyusha Chatterjee Shreya Mukherjee Urmi Sengupta Sumit