IN HARYANA SELECTIVE SEX ABORTION IS ON . THE WOMEN TAKE MEDICINES SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE BIRTH TO A SON IN FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY. THIS RESULTS IN CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES IN NEW BORN. THIS TYPE OF STUDY NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED IN HARYANA
R.S.DAHIYA
Biological aspects
[edit] Genetics
Cousin marriage has genetic aspects that do not arise in the case of other marriage-related political and social issues like interracial marriage. This is because married couples possessing higher than normal consanguinity have, on average, an increased chance of sharing genes for recessive traits. Consanguinity means the amount of shared (identical) DNA, the genetic material. The percentage of consanguinity between any two individuals decreases fourfold as the most recent common ancestor recedes one generation. To cite some examples, first cousins have four times the consanguinity of second cousins, while first cousins once removed have half that of first cousins. Rare double first cousins have twice that of first cousins and are as related as half-siblings.
In April 2002, the Journal of Genetic Counseling released a report which estimated the average risk of birth defects in a child born of first cousins at 1.7-2.8% over an average base risk for non-cousin couples of 3%, or about the same as that of any woman over age 40.[145] In terms of mortality, a 1994 study found a mean excess pre-reproductive mortality rate of 4.4%,[146] while another study published in 2009 suggests the rate may be closer to 3.5%.[2] Put differently, first-cousin marriage entails a similar increased risk of birth defects and mortality as a woman faces when she gives birth at age 41 rather than at 30.[147] Critics argue that banning first-cousin marriages would make as much sense as trying to ban childbearing by older women. It should be noted that after repeated generations of cousin marriage, the actual genetic relationship between two people is closer than the most immediate relationship would suggest. In Pakistan, where there has been cousin marriage for generations and the current rate may exceed 50%, it was estimated that infant mortality was 12.7 percent for married double first cousins, 7.9 percent for first cousins, 9.2 percent for first cousins once removed/double second cousins, 6.9 percent for second cousins, and 5.1 percent among nonconsanguineous progeny. Among double first cousin progeny, 41.2 percent of prereproductive deaths were associated with the expression of detrimental recessive genes, with equivalent values of 26.0, 14.9, and 8.1 percent for first cousins, first cousins once removed/double second cousins, and second cousins respectively.[148]
Even in the absence of preferential consanguinity, alleles that are rare in large populations can randomly increase to high frequency in small groups within a few generations, because of the founder effect and accelerated genetic drift in a breeding pool of restricted size.[149] Consider the case of the Amish: because the entire population is descended from only a few hundred 18th century German-Swiss settlers, the average coefficient of inbreeding between two random Amish is higher than between two non-Amish second cousins.[150] First-cousin marriage is taboo, but despite this, the Amish suffer from several rare genetic disorders. In Ohio’s Geagua County, the Amish make up only about 10 percent of the population, but represent half the special needs cases. In one debilitating seizure disorder the worldwide total of 12 cases is exclusively Amish.[151] Similar disorders have been found in the highly polygynous FLDS, who do allow first-cousin marriage, and of whom 75 to 80 percent are related to two 1930s founders.[152][153]
Traits with a polygenic multifactorial pattern of inheritance appear to be little affected by consanguinity. Studies into the influence of inbreeding on anthropometric measurements at birth and in childhood have failed to reveal any major and consistent pattern, and only marginal declines were shown in the mean scores attained by consanguineous progeny in tests of intellectual capacity. In the latter case, it would appear that inbreeding mainly leads to greater variance in IQ levels, due in part to the expression of detrimental recessive genes in a small proportion of those tested.[154]
A BBC report[155] discussed Pakistanis in Britain, 55% of whom marry a first cousin. Given the high rate of such marriages, many children come from repeat generations of first-cousin marriages. The report states that these children are 13 times more likely than the general population to produce children with genetic disorders, and one in ten children of first-cousin marriages in Birmingham either dies in infancy or develops a serious disability. The BBC also states that Pakistani-Britons, who account for some 3% of all births in the UK, produce “just under a third” of all British children with genetic illnesses. Published studies show that mean perinatal mortality in the Pakistani community of 15.7 per thousand significantly exceeds that in the indigenous population and all other ethnic groups in Britain. Congenital anomalies account for 41 percent of all British Pakistani infant deaths.[156]
According to a statement by the UK’s Human Genetics Commission on cousin marriages, the BBC “fails to clarify” that children born to these marriages are not 13 times more likely to develop genetic disorders. Rather, they are 13 times more likely to develop recessive genetic disorders. The HGC states, “Other types of genetic conditions, including chromosomal abnormalities, sex-linked conditions and autosomal dominant conditions are not influenced by cousin marriage.” The HGC goes on to compare the biological risk between cousin marriage and increased maternal age, arguing that “Both represent complex cultural trends. Both however, also carry a biological risk. They key difference, GIG argue, is that cousin marriage is more common amongst a British minority population.”[157] Genetic effects from cousin marriage in a developed country like Britain are also more obvious because the number of confounding environmental diseases is lower than in a developing country like Pakistan. Increased focus on genetic disease in developing countries may eventually result from progress in eliminating environmental diseases there as well.[158]
The BBC story contained an interview with Myra Ali, whose parents and grandparents were all first cousins. She has a very rare recessive genetic condition, known as Epidermolysis bullosa which will cause her to lead a life of extreme physical suffering, limited human contact and probably an early death from skin cancer. Knowing that cousin marriages increase the probability of recessive genetic conditions, she is understandably against the practice.
The Human Genetics Commission recommends comparing the strategy taken in dealing with cousin marriage to previous strategies on increased maternal age, notably as this age relates to an increased risk of Down Syndrome. All pregnant women in Britain are offered a screening test from the socialized medical system to identify those at an increased risk of having a baby with Down syndrome. The HGC states that similarly, “it is appropriate to offer genetic counseling to couples whose relationship is consanguineous, preferably before they conceive, in order to establish the precise risk of a genetic abnormality in their children.” Under this system the offering of genetic counseling can be refused, unlike for example in the US state of Maine where it is mandatory to marry. Leading researcher Alan Bittles also concluded that though consanguinity clearly has a significant effect on childhood mortality and genetic disease in areas where it is common, it is “essential that the levels of expressed genetic defect be kept in perspective, and to realize that the outcome of consanguineous marriages is not subject to assessment solely in terms of comparative medical audit.”[159] Social, cultural, and economic benefits of cousin marriage need to also be fully considered.[160]
First they came for the Dalit
And I did not speak out because I was not a Dalit,
Then they came for the Adivasi
And I did not speak out for I was not an Adivasi,
Then they came for the Muslims
And I did not speak out because I was not a Muslim,
Then they came for the Sikhs
And I did not speak out for I was not a Sikh,
Then they came for the Christians
And I did not speak out because I was not a Christian,
Then the they came for the Secular Hindu
And I did not speak out for I was not a secular Hindu,
Then the came for the Social Activist who worked for the Poor or Marginalized,
And I did not speak out because I was not poor or marginalized.
Then they came for me
And there was no one left to speak out for any one,
HOLI MUBARAK HO
याद आये वायदे याद प्यार का नजारा आ गया
राम रहीम समर्थकों ने किया भयंकर हंगामा
दिल रो दिया मेरा दोस्तों देखो कैसा जमाना आ गया
बहुत जटिल हुई जिंदगी खो गए खुसी के लम्हे
अच्छाई नहीं बुराई को दिलों में ठिकाना पा गया
असली रंग प्यार क़ि खुसी के ये धूमिल होते जा रहे
नकली धुनों पर हमें बहुत बलखाना आ गया
काश असली प्यार और सचे रंग फिर छायें
लगे हम जैसों को भी क़ि वक्त वही दीवाना आ गया
Over 120 railway accidents have taken place so far during this financial
year. In this backdrop it is inexplicable how the allocations for the
Railway Safety Fund has been cut by Rs. 579 crore from last year.
Moreover, the Minister has strangely tried to shift the blame for railway
accidents on to rail rokos and natural disasters! This shows the
Minister’s distorted perspective on the crucial aspect of railway safety.
As per the Railway Ministry’s own estimates, over 1.7 lakhs Railway posts
were lying vacant in 2009, out of which nearly 90000 were posts related to
railway safety. The Minister has kept completely silent on filling up
these vacancies, which can provide job opportunities to the youth.
The Railway’s operating ratio (the ratio of total working expenses to the
earnings – a higher ratio implies deterioration), which was 90.5% in
2008-09 has risen to 94.7% in 2009-10. Such a sharp deterioration in just
one year reflects the gross mismanagement of Railway affairs by the
Minister. Gross Traffic Receipts in 2009-10 have fallen short of the
budgeted estimate by Rs. 63 crore. Moreover, plan investment in Railways
also fell short of the budgeted target of 2009-10 by Rs. 497 crore. This
clearly shows that the Railway Minister has not been able to implement the
tall promises that she made in the last Budget. In this context the
grandiose announcements of projects ranging from hospitals and diagnostic
centres, sports academies and musuems ring a trifle hollow.
By the Railway Minister’s own admission, many of her project announcements
were made without the sanction of the Planning Commission. Their
implementation therefore is highly suspect. This is further borne out by
the fact that for 2010-11, plan investment in Railways is budgeted to
increase by only Rs. 1142 crore, which amounts to a drastic fall in plan
investment in real terms. While the Railway Minister has made tall claims
on laying 1000 kms of new railway lines, it is shocking that the actual
plan allocations for gauge conversion, doubling of railway lines and new
rolling stock like wagons and carriages have been cut in nominal terms.
This squeeze in public investment in the Railways is accompanied by an
unprecedented thrust towards privatisation in all areas in the name of
PPP: from modernisation of railway stations; new railway lines; freight
and passenger corridors; locomotive, wagon and container manufacturing;
rail axle factory; parking complexes and bottling plants. This wholesale
privatisation programme for the Railways, opening up the entire sector for
private profiteering, will be inimical to national interest. It appears as
if the entire decision-making in the Railway Ministry has been handed over
to the corporate sector.
R.S.Dahiya
आयातित गेहूं क़ि खरीद के लिए सरकार ने बड़े व्यापारियों को १२-१४ रुपये दिए जबकि किसान को मात्र ९.५० रूपये दिए |महंगे आयात के बावजूद राशन क़ि दुकानों में सप्लाई के वितरण में कटोती लगातार जारी है | खुले बाजार में गेहूं क़ि कीमतों में बढ़ोतरी जारी है |क्या खेल है यह ? इससे किसको फायदा हो रहा है ? ना ही तो किसान को और ना ही उपभोगता को बल्कि इसका फायदा बड़ी कम्पनियों को मिल रहा है | आप कया कहते है इस बारे में ? यही कहानी चीनी के साथ है |दो साल पहले किसानों ने जब गन्ने क़ि बहुत अछी फसल पैदा क़ि तो उन्हें उनके उत्पादन क़ि कीमत के हिसाब से उची मूल्य ना देकर उनको दण्डित किया गया | इससे किसको फायदा मिला ?बड़ी चीनी कम्पनियों ने इससे बहुत मुनाफा कमाया | ३३ कम्पनियों ने मात्र एक साल में अपना मुनाफा ३३ करोड़ से बढाकर ९०० करोड़ कर लिया जो २९०० प्रतिशत होता है | किसान तो इससे प्रभावित हुआ ही इसके साथ ही उपभोगताओं को भी चीनी ४० रूपये किलो खरीदनी पड़ी | आम आदमी के साथ है कांग्रेस का हाथ का नारा देकर ई सरकार अमीरों के साथ खरी हुई दिखाई देती है | चंद दिनों में ही आम आदमी वाले खास आदमियों के पाले में खड़े दिखाई दिए | वायदा व्यापार के दायरे में खाद्य पदार्थों को शामिल करने क़ि इजाजत देना यह सरकार क़ि अन्य निति रही जिसने महंगाई को बेहताशा बढ़ावा दिया| जरूरी खाद्य पदार्थों के लिए मुनाफाखोरी क़ि इजाजत क्यों दी गयी ? वायदा कारोबार के लिए गिहू पर जो प्रतिबंध लगाया था उसे भी केंद्र सरकार ने हटा लिया | प्राइवेट कम्पनियों ने इसमें खूब मुनाफा कमाया | तुरत प्रभाव से वायदा कारोबार पर रोक लगाई जानी चाहिए | लाखों लोगों को राशन कार्ड से वंचित कर दिया गया तथा सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली को असल में ख़तम कर दिया गया है |ग्रामीण भारत में एक व्यस्क व्यक्ति के लिए गरीबी रेखा क़ि ११ रूपये प्रतिदिन क़ि बोगाश परिभाषा का परिणाम यह हुआ क़ि गरीबों क़ि बड़ी संख्या को बी पी एल कार्ड नहीं मिले और बाकि गरीबों को कहा गया क़ि वे गरीबी क़ि रेखा से ऊपर हैं |एक आदमी या औरत जिसकी कमी १५ रुपये प्रतिदिन है कया वाह गरीब नहीं है ? उन्हें बी पी एल कार्ड क्यों नहीं मिले? पिछले ५ सालों में राशन प्रणाली के लिए विभिन्न प्रदेशों को जाने वाले चावल और गिहूँ में ७५ प्रतिशत क़ि कटौती केन्द्रीय सरकार के द्वारा क़ि गई है | सभी असंगठित मजदूरों को बी पी एल कार्ड मिलने चाहियें |
PYAR ASLI
Gender and Health
1. Abolish all coercive laws, policies and practices that violate the reproductive and democratic rights of women, including the two child norm.
2. Stop coercion in the use of contraception. Make user-controlled contraceptives available.
3.Guarantee comprehensive, quality health services (preventive, promotive and curative) for women, that are accessible, accountable, irrespective of capacity to pay. Special provisions – resources and implementation- to be made to address health issues specific to women. For example, access to safe abortion services
4.Assure women of gender-specific health entitlements (maternity leave, abortion leave, sterilization leave, creches, toilets) in public and private employment. A national scheme for maternity entitlements in the informal sector, on the lines of the “Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme” in Tamil Nadu (including cash support of Rs 1,000 per month for six months for care during pregnancy and after delivery), should be introduced.
5. Register all deaths and initiate audits of all maternal deaths.
6. Ensure safety, transparency and accountability in all clinical trials, and guarantee that the post-trial benefits of research are made available to women even from marginalized groups. Ensure disclosure of funding and of potential conflict-of-interest in all clinical trials, medical research and publications.
7. Make mandatory the inclusion of women’s organizations and women’s health advocates on ethics committees, from national to local and institutional level.
8. Regulate use of invasive reproductive technologies in the private sector, that covers surrogacy, genetic engineering, cloning and intensive ARTs.
9.Recognise violence against women as a public health issue and ensure provision of necessary services. Ensure prosecution and conviction of violators of the Prevention of Domestic Violence against Women and Girls Act as also the PCPNDT Act.
10. Include the topics of ‘Violence against women’ and ‘sexuality and gender’ as part medical and paramedical curricula to equip medical professionals deal in a sensitive manner with survivors of
violence, including domestic violence. Train forensic experts on the social aspects of sexual assault and rape, collection and retention of proof in cases of individual or mass sexual violence.
11 Repeal Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, and other laws, policies and practices that discriminate on the basis of sexuality.
R.S.Daahiya
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