Braid Cutting - Truth or Rumors?

Braid Cutting - Truth or Rumor?

Mysterious braid (choti) cutting incidents has happened in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi where women mostly around 50 years of age has their braids cut without their knowledge by some invisible source causing fear among women in these areas. Women also fell unconscious during the time of braid cutting which left them clueless about the attacker and made the incident mysterious. Police who have recorded the statements of victims deny any black magic involved in this which is rumored in the video circulated in social media groups. They are asserting that some miscreants are behind the incident.

The video allegedly claims that a woman is on a mission to cut 1008 women braids in order to get invisibility power according to a black magic ritual. I heard this news around a month ago from someone whose relatives live in Rajasthan. The incident was not in news at that time, I denied him saying that these are rumors or acts of miscreants and I still believe miscreants and anti-social elements has role in all this. Sad part of the story is that a 65 year woman who went outside to relive herself at night in a village near Agra was killed by people believing her to be a witch responsible for cutting braids. 

We may know the truth in some time or the rumors die out a natural death but for the time being we need to remain calm and restrict ourselves in spreading any kind of rumors. This is second time in my life that I am witnessing such situation when such rumor mongering reached to national news debates. First time it happened in 2001 when rumors of monkey man created fear in people of Delhi. Then it was also proved to be a hoax and who knows something secretive has done by someone during the rumor period and the news was only to divert police & people somewhere else.

In this braid cutting news also there are more rumors than truth. One or two isolated incidents are hyped so much to create fear among women. People I have heard that started applying turmeric hand prints on their doors to keep away evil. Lemon-Chilli (Nimbu-Mirchi) was also hanged for the same purpose by some at their doors. Superstition in our country just need a chance to fly high and the incident has gave that chance. Hope the fake news ends soon because we already have many around to divert our attentions. Good bye. God Bless India. 

Video of a related News Item in Hindi

Riotous Reservation

Riotous Reservation 

Reservation is an arrangement in Indian constitution which is committed to provide a level playing field for backward and underprivileged sections of the society. With time this arrangement became a vote guarantee scheme for the political parties and on their behest at several occasion this dirty politics have turned into bloodbaths. The reservation system on the other hand became so inept with the changing scenarios that its benefits never reached underprivileged and backward classes which resulted in more exploitation of these classes along with creation of uneven society.

Jat Reservation demand was not new and such protests which have tendency to go violent were common occurrence from last so many years but this time Haryana government failed in controlling the agitators. The protest was not a mere protest but an organised mob rampantly attacking, looting and burning railway stations, police stations, buses, cars, trucks, malls, shops, etc, they also raped women during their agitation. Protesters even attacked army men and blocked their entry which forced army to open fire on them. The way these armed agitators were leading the protest in a planned manner were also hinting towards a backdoor organizer. Pressurizing government by cutting Delhi's food and water supply not looked like mob thinking. Haryana government’s wrong estimation of the intensity of the Jat movement made it uncontrolled. Victims of this violence accused police and government inaction behind the heightened protesters attacks.

Comments of BJP MP Ram Saini about Jats added fuel to the fire which turned reservation movement into inter caste fighting. The protesters selectively destroyed non-Jats establishments. The agitation only ended when state government promised reservation and central government agreed to form a committee for the issue. This agitation episode and its outcome have set a wrong example by succumbing to the demands of violent agitators. Now others will also resort to such extreme protests while demanding anything from the government. Those behind the violence must be identified and punished harshly to teach a lesson to all those who think nothing wrong in damaging national property for personal gains. Armed mob of thousands destroying national property on state roads and streets are more dangerous for country's integrity than some vague slogans by a bunch of people in a city corner.  

This act of violence should be an eye opener not only for government but for all political parties who for time and again have used reservation to ensure their votes. In present political and social environment removing reservation is not possible but it is necessary to have different look to reservation process. It must be ensured that its benefits reach to the one for which it was intended. There are many upper caste people who make fake caste certificates for getting benefits of reservation depriving lower castes from its advantages and even in the lower castes only a small section is getting help through reservation. Most of all we must identify ourselves as Indians first and then with some caste, religion, region or race. National interest is higher than personal gains. Till next post God Bless India.