Flip Side

15 March 2009, Chandigarh

Today and Yesterday, we organized a Health Camp by the name of YU-Heal in the slums of colony 5, sector 51. With the help of Chandigarh administration, some companies, doctors from various hospitals, some local chemists and others, around 700 patients were attended to in 2 days. It was my first volunteering experience and a very encouraging one. There were many people there who had serious infections that required urgent medical intervention. It is whelming to see sensitivity and a sense of social responsibility in youth. A lot of young people from different backgounds clubbed up and worked in whatever capacity they could to make some difference through this event.

Yu-Heal Camp at Colony 5, Sec 51

Medical Checkup

Distributing Medicines

Dr.Vivek – a YU Volunteer

Me at the Camp

Overall, the response was very encouraging from all sides. I hope there ‘ll be proper follow up in future towards building a better and healthier society.

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06/03/09, Chandigarh

This Tuesday, while I was waiting near Tuck shop in PGI for my colleagues, I spotted an ignorant policeman smoking ‘bidi’ at a public place, within the hospital campus, in a smoke-free city!!! I simply wonder if such are the awareness and intelligence levels of policemen, what can be expected from workers, migrant laborers and others. It also makes me wonder – How these ignorant policemen shall ever ask anyone else Not to Smoke in a Public Place!!! Here’s the wonder Boy:

PGI-Hospital, Smoke-Free City!

25 Nov 2008, Chandigarh

A newspaper clipping about Child labor in Chandigarh, one of the images is from Sec 15 market, just near the University!

Child Labor In Chandigarh

All this, while the Constitution of India says:

1. Article 21A directs the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.
2. Article 24 prohibits employment of children below the age of fourteen years in factories, mines or any other hazardous occupation.
3. Article 39(e) and (f) provide that the State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing to ensure that the tender age of children are not abused and that the citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength and that the children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that the childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.
4. Article 45 envisages that the State shall endeavor to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.

   I simply wonder if the so called “State” is blind that it can not see umpteen kids in slums and elsewhere who do not get the so called “free and compulsory education” as directed by Article 21A, who are forced to work in roadside eateries and stalls forced by their economic necessity to do works unsuited to their age and strength!
   I request my fellow citizens – If any of these politicians running the state for last so many years come to you again, begging for votes, Ask this question to them!

If you spot any kid, just any kid, below the age of 14, forced to work because of economic necessity and/or not getting the “free & compulsory education” as the constitution makes provision for, Just take a photograph of that kid with your cellphone, ask his/her name/age if feasible and forward it to Tarun Gupta at tarun.gupta@youthunited.in along with details of his/her place of work and any other information as appropriate. This information shall be brought to the notice through RTIs to appropriate ministries, including Ministry of Women & Child Development and to appropriate Judicial Machinery through Legal Aid Agencies so that an attempt can be made to make the “State” accountable of its responsibilities.

It is not a simple task but then we can’t just sit and watch! There is no point in just cursing the State and do nothing. If you feel for a cause, make a point to stand for it yourself. If you are a student of Legal Studies or if you belong to an NGO, or if you are just anyone of those millions of us who wish to do something for a just cause, I would like to hear from you

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Jan 08, 2009, Chandigarh

I was coming from Shimla in a Jeep to Chandigarh. In panchkula, The jeep was taken to  petrol pump for pollution check and No pollution certificate. I was astonished to see that the authorized agent didn’t even bother to check the jeep and simply took the money and issued the certificate. It is because of agents such as these that policies meant for environment regulation and prevention goes unimplemented. The Name and license information of the said agent is:

Happy Service Station
Sector-1, Panchkula
Licence # Pkl d 0002

As a citizen of India, I would like competent authorities to take appropriate actions to ensure that such authorization to issue No-pollution certificates is not mis-utilized.

This was brought into the notice of following authorities:

1. Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee, Chandigarh
2. Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi

I would like to see that the Policemen themselves do not violate basic laws and that there is proper implementation of rules and policies at the grass root levels.

To my utter dismay, email ID of Central Pollution Control Board [cpcc_chd@dataone.in] is no longer operational and the Public Grievance Form of Chandigarh Administration’s Sampark website, here: http://sampark.chd.nic.in/images/grievance.htm is completely out of order since long and as a bad joke, clicking the ‘Submit’ button will take you to a broken link to Indo-Punjab Games Website! So much for e-governance!!