Good morning gang. I am on vacation in Victoria BC . Then off to Sidney BC tomorrow.

Let’s be Clear: Corporal Punishment is Violence and a Clear Violation of the Rights of Children

By Red Thread, Guyana

A recent regional hearing on corporal punishment and its impact on the rights of children in the Caribbean was organized by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights. Speakers included Blossom Inc.; ChildLink Inc.; Jamaicans for Justice; Red Thread; Simon Springett, the UN Resident Coordinator Barbados & Eastern Caribbean; Ms. Najat Maalla, United Nations Special Representative on Violence against Children. Guyana’s participation was coordinated by Danuta Radzik and Vidyaratha Kissoon. In this week’s diaspora column, we share Red Thread’s submission.

Violence against children is unacceptable, yet corporal punishment, in the name of correction and discipline, is allowed in the schools.

Corporal punishment is the infliction of physical pain such as beating, bracing, mutilation, blinding. For us in Guyana, it shows up in such acts as placing children to kneel on graters, flogging for the public (fellow students, parents, passerby) to witness, peppering vaginas, beating to burst skin, and  beating with a whip from tree branch or a tool from household items such as pot spoons, wooden mortar-sticks, pot covers, extension cords, curtain rods, and the list can go on. At the end of these disciplining strategies of corporal punishment, there are intended and unintended negative impacts left on that child, on our children. These show up as mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, inability to process conflict or difference in opinions, insecure attachments, poor relationship and distrust of adults (whether parental or not), bullying in schools and more.

As members of Red Thread, we advocate against violence against children and do not support corporal punishment – the term used to institutionalise violence against children.  Violence is an intentional inflicted harm for a desired outcome for the person using it, but what about the recipient of that violence? What do we know about the impact on them? On our children who we are depending on to carry this nation forward, to construct or devise problem-solving strategies? How does violence reduce a child’s ability to be non-violent, creative and innovative? How does corporal punishment reproduce individuals who only know how to utilize violence or inflict harm to get what they want?

We are not going to pretend that we are innocent of beating children. Most of us are guilty of this, but we have come to acknowledge and accept that this behaviour is about stamping authority and nothing more.  All of us can also attest to the fact that we did not like being beaten as children. Beating is not a corrective method; it drives fear into a child and sometimes causes the child to be dishonest ((rather than risk being beaten if telling the truth leads to punishment).

Corporal punishment teaches a child to become violent, , as this recollection from one of the Red Thread members  illustrates:

“As a child, I remember being beaten by my grade 6 class teacher because I spelt one word wrong. Four lashes in my hand with a locally made ruler resulted in my hand being swollen and painful.  I still had to endure the pain to complete my work that day,  for fear that I would be beaten again. I went home showed my brother and cousins my hand and told them who did that to me.  Later that afternoon, we lay in wait for the teacher in a clump of bushes with some bricks in our hands and as she passed, we pelted her. The place was hilly so she fell and rolled down the hill, causing her to incur injuries.  She was absent from school for three days and I was at peace. Today I am not proud of my reaction but it felt right at the time.”

Today, we see a lot of violence among teachers and students and in some cases, parents get involved. While most parents give the teachers consent to beat their children, some don’t agree with the manner in which they are being beaten. A grade 1 student was unable to write for over three months because he was beaten by his teacher for not doing his work. Upon enquiry, it turned out that the child simply didn’t understand the assignment.  Many of these matters never reach the Ministry of Education or the police  because headteachers often sweep the issue under the carpet, including threatening the parent that the child will be put out of the school.

Children are beaten for not doing homework, for arriving at school late, for hitting another child, for not understanding the work/ instructions, for getting an answer wrong, for being rude, and the list can go on and on; but who is taking the time to find out what is really happening to the child?

We know of cases in which teachers neglect children in class with the excuse that they are rude and disruptive and since the teacher is not allowed to beat, they pay the children no mind. In the absence of beating, some teachers would implement other forms of punishment like having the child stand at the back of the class or even in the sun for the entire subject period. Some even refuse giving the child a bathroom break, all in the name of disciplinary action.  Apart from beating, some teachers say mean and horrible things to students, including things about their family members. How do we expect children to act in the face of this treatment? We know of children cutting classes because they fear the teacher. 

We agree that there are some difficult children, but have we really stopped to take the time to examine why that is so? Children were not born as difficult beings, they are influenced by their environment: home, community, school, religion, social media and yes, they need to be given boundaries so that they can soar, but beating cannot be the solution or the shortcut to a problem. Beating a child in the name of correcting them is a way of abusing power. It’s not doing our children any good but rather more harm.

As adults, we step out of line from time to time. Do we want to be beaten for our shortcomings? Do teachers want to be beaten when they fail to perform their duties efficiently? Why should physical violence ever be acceptable?

The time is long overdue when we cannot accept the complaint by teachers that the only way to maintain order or control is to beat. It is time parents stop giving teachers permission to beat their children with the claim that they themselves were beaten and it didn’t kill them. More importantly, it is time society abolishes corporal punishment as our disciplining strategy and stops justifying it as something we have always done (this is the Guyanese or Caribbean way), and do the work of finding meaningful and long term strategies instilling respect, care and discipline among students, ways in which we relate to each others that do not involve an unending cycle of violence. We are tired hearing the saying “if I didn’t get the beating then, I wouldn’t be the person I am today”.  This is all an excuse for not being willing to learn other useful and effective ways of discipline. It is time we move away from the, dare we say, purposeful misinterpretation of the Bible that relies on the scripture  Proverbs 13: 24 which says “ Those who spare the rod hate their children but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.”

It is our hope that the information shared at this hearing  will be able to influence educators/policy makers in the Caribbean  that the rod of correction was never a cane or whip. Those belonged to the plantation and they should find no place in our society. Otherwise we have simply internalized the violence that tried to teach us to know our place. There are numerous other most effective and safe ways to apply discipline. Now is the time to explore those ways. Let’s not forget violence begets violence, and resorting to corporal punishment continues to violate the Rights of Children. Doing right by them, means we are guaranteeing a different future with less violence.

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What do you think? Her campaign already collected $27.5 M

Musical extravaganza.

Magical..!!! AR Rahman and Shreya Goshal performing at together   

Piya Tose Naina Laage Re - Dance

Presenting an excellent dance song of Waheeda Rehman "Piya Tose Naina Laage Re" sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Enjoy!

Superstar Singer Season 3 is here to entertain you with its musical vocals and mesmerizing performances. This season is filled with talented people who are here to try their luck and show the world with their singing that they are here to spellbound all.

We have a date with steel. So keep yours sharp, because I will be introducing you to what Japanese technology is all about.

My cuz you-tube video

the Shabna Show..horsecart ride in Leguan

https://youtu.be/WPeJjboYyPA?si=J68rA6-s-HvDDbKm

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Nigel Hughes says no law prevents him from representing Exxon while leading AFC

Kaieteur News – Nigel Hughes, the recently elected leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) and a prominent attorney, has addressed criticisms regarding a potential conflict of interest. Critics have pointed out that his law firm’s representation of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) could pose a conflict with his new political role. Hughes, however, has asserted that there are no legal provisions prohibiting him from maintaining EMGL as a client while leading the AFC.

During a June 27 interview just days before he was elected leader of AFC, Hughes disclosed that Exxon is a client of his law firm – Hughes, Fields and Stoby.  Hughes was asked during the interview, that if elected leader of the AFC will he urge the party to renegotiate the lopsided 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) which was signed with Exxon and the previous APNU + AFC Government for the lucrative Stabroek Block.

In response the now AFC leader said, “…I will say this and I think I said it the other night…Exxon is a client of our firm, I’m making it public now so nobody can’t say that I have never made it [known]. Several oil companies are clients of our firm. I cannot comment on that.”

On Sunday, the day after being elected leader of the AFC, Hughes stated that he would not sever ties with his law firm, which represents ExxonMobil, unless he is elected to government, according to a report by Demerara Waves Online News. Hughes told Demerara Waves, “No, no! This issue really only arises if and when I become President or acquire a position of power, because, then I’m in a position to influence government policy, they can claim. Right now, I can’t influence government and, therefore, it’s a theoretical conflict.”

The renegotiation of the 2016 deal has been the topic for ongoing debates. There have been calls from locals and industry experts urging Guyana’s leaders to reopen negotiations with ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), to ensure more equitable benefits from the lucrative Stabroek Block.

Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and now General Secretary of the AFC, during his tenure under the Coalition government between 2015 and 2020, was the one who signed the deal in 2016 with Exxon. The deal Trotman signed waives all taxes from the oil companies, gives Guyana a 2% royalty on its rich resources, and agrees to the oil companies recovering 75% of investments before the remaining 25% is shared, with Guyana receiving 12.5%. The arrangement, with the lack of ring-fencing, sees Guyana paying for projects that are yet to commence production activities. Each month bills from future producing developments are added to the list of expenses to be cost-recovered by Exxon.

In response to Hughes comments to Demerara Waves, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo posted to his Facebook page, “Nigel Hughes obviously did not read the definition of politically exposed persons in the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act 2009.”

Jagdeo posted a snippet of the AML/CFT Act which explains who are considered a Politically Exposed Person (PEP).  It states, “politically exposed person means any individual who is or has been entrusted with prominent public functions on behalf of a state, including a Head of State or of government, senior politicians, senior government, judicial or military officials, senior executives of state owned corporations, important political party officials, and a person who is or has been entrusted with a prominent function by an international organisation, at the level of senior management, including directors, deputy directors and members of the board or equivalent functions including family members or close associates of the politically exposed person whether that person is resident in Guyana or not;”

Hughes also on his Facebook page responded calling the Vice President’s post “another red herring.”  He explained that he has been PEP since 2011 when his wife, Catherine Hughes became a member of the National Assembly. He noted that while his wife is still a Member of Parliament (MP), they have annually declared their assets to the Integrity Commission as PEPs.

Notably, Hughes said too that international client who seek to retain the services of his law firm usually conduct due diligence investigation of the firm and he had to declare that he is a PEP.

“Commercial Financial Institutions in Guyana have designated me as a PEP which obliges them to conduct a higher level of scrutiny on all of my financial transactions. All members of the National Assembly including the Vice President are PEPs. There is no magic to being PEP. The close relatives of all MPs are PEPs,” Hughes asserted.

To this end, he underscored that there is no law preventing him from having Exxon as a client. He said, “There is no law which prevents anyone from entering in contracts with PEPs.”

To all of u Canadians…

happy Canada Day ..

enjoy the long weekend ..stay safe.

Cheers

UK Approves Deportation of All Protesters! No Extremists Preachers In The UK: Crackdown Continues!

In a controversial move, the UK government has approved the deportation of all protesters and extremist preachers in the country by 2024. This decision has sparked debates and discussions on the boundaries of free speech and national security. Watch this video to learn more about the implications and reactions to this unprecedented decision. 2024,Civil Liberties,Political Activism,Human Rights,Immigration Policy,Government Policy.,Home Office,Social Issues,Religious Extremism,Legal System,UK,Free Speech,Deportation,Extremist Preachers,Immigration,United Kingdom,Protest,Activism,Protesters,Rights,Politics,Student Activism,Protests,uk palestine protest,uk visa cancellation,deportation,no visa for protestors,rishi sunak,no uk visa,visa,ukvi,bbc news,uk gv,uk,contraversial preachers,protest,news

Good movie.. superb acting by new comers..young actors n Nas Shah too

PLOT

The film shows a moving bond between father-daughter. Classical dance is the love of the girl's life and also becomes a weapon that defeats restrictive forces of society.The courage of a traditional Muslim who chooses his daughter's desire over obedience to his traditional minded elders. Mee Raqsam was filmed in Kaifi Azmi's native village of Mijwan in Azamgarh district.^[5]

So sad..he was my high sch classmate 1971-76

RIP Haseeb..

My condolences to his family

Madan Mohan@100: The Composer who Brought a Rare Sensitivity to Romance

Neera Chandhoke

25/Jun/2024

We remember with perfect clarity the flawless musical composition of Madan Mohan (1924-1975), whose birth centenary falls on June 25 of this year.

Music composer Madan Mohan (right) with singer Lata Mangeshkar (left). Photo: madanmohan.in

Bombay film songs acquire a trajectory that leaves the film and its actors behind. Over time we find it difficult to recollect the name of a film, or even the actor on whom a song was filmed. But we remember the melody. Think of the wonderful song ‘Tum jo mil gaye ho, toh yu lagta hain, ke jahan mil gaya’ in Hanste Zakhm (1973) . In the scene, a mediocre actor Navin Nischal lip-syncs the song for an equally mediocre Priya Rajvansh. Both are utterly forgettable.

Nevertheless, we recollect in great detail the wonderful lyrics by Kaifi Azmi for the film produced and directed by Chetan Anand. We have vivid memories of Mohammed Rafi’s voice. And we remember with perfect clarity the flawless musical composition of Madan Mohan (1924-1975), whose birth centenary falls on June 25 of this year.

Experts on the Bombay film and its music tell us that Madan Mohan did not get his due in the industry. May be, maybe not. Popularity is not a substitute for talent.  Who can, after all, forget the music he composed for the number, ‘Har taraf ab yehi afsane hai. Hum teri ankkhon ke diwane hai’ in the film Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973).

The lyrics of the song were written by Kaifi Azmi and picturised on Raaj Kumar, who walking in the mist poetically recollects Priya Rajvansh’s, well, eyes. If there is Priya Rajvansh in a film, it must have been made by Chetan Anand. Never mind the ordinary war film and its stars, we recollect the song sung in the wonderfully mellow voice of Manna Dey.

Songs set to music by Madan Mohan and written by Kaifi Azmi are songs of love. Kaifi Azami is reported to have said that his song which was set to music by Madan Mohan in the 1970 Chetan Anand film Heer Ranjha: ‘Meri duniya mein tum aaye, kya kya apne saath liye’ was the best love song he had written. It certainly is a memorable love song redolent of the wonderful poetry for which Punjab is known.

Madan Mohan, who himself looked like a film star from the 1950s, reportedly had no training in music. Yet he composed the most amazing numbers in partnership with Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. He put together an everlasting number for Sharabi (1964) starring Dev Anand and Madhubala; ‘Sawan ke mahine mein, ek  aag si seene mein, lagti hai to pi leta hoon, do chaar ghadi ji leta hoon’.

The lyrics were written by Anand Bakshi and the film was directed by Raj Rishi. It was one of the most peppy numbers that came to us from the industry.

Karan Johar’s Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani reignited another catchy tune composed by Madan Mohan, ‘Jhumka gira re, Bareilly ke bazaar mein.’ The song was sung by Asha Bhosle for (1966) Mera Saaya, one of the most improbable film stories that saw the light of day. Picturized on a coquettish Sadhna, the lyrics of the song were written by Raja Mehndi Ali Khan.

The film was directed by Raj Khosla. Mohan could also compose a soulful number for the same film. It was sung by Mohamed Rafi, ‘aapke pehlu mein aake ro diye, dastaane dil suna ke ro diye’. He also gave music to the playful number in the same film ‘naino wali ne hai mera dil loota’ sung joyfully by Lata Mangeshkar.

The film was directed by Raj Khosla. Mohan could also compose a soulful number for the same film. It was sung by Mohamed Rafi, ‘aapke pehlu mein aake ro diye, dastaane dil suna ke ro diye’. He also gave music to the playful number in the same film ‘naino wali ne hai mera dil loota’ sung joyfully by Lata Mangeshkar.

A stupendously improbable ‘ghostly’ story ‘Woh Kaun Thi’ (1966) directed by Raj Khosla is remembered for one of Lata Mangeshkar’s most sensual numbers: ‘lag ja gale, ke phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho’. The lyricist was Raja Mehndi Ali Khan and Madan Mohan composed the music for this timeless number. The lead pair was Sadhna and Manoj Kumar. We remember them, but remember the songs more.

This is a salutary reminder of what M.K Raghavendra suggests in his 2016 work on Bollywood, written as one of Oxford India’s Short Introduction. He argues that film music achieves a life of its own. It is difficult to think, he suggests, of a Hollywood number transcending its context, the way Bombay Film music does.

The 1950s are described as the time when melody was king. Madan Mohan’s music reached into the 1960s and 1970s, bringing a rare sensitivity to romance at a time when Western tunes and cacophonies began to dominate Bollywood.

He created music that raised the standard for many films, for example Rajinder Singh Bedi’s (1970) Dastak. He was awarded the National film award for the best music direction for that film. Who can forget ‘baiya na dharon sajna’ written by Majrooh Sultanpuri from that film, even though we can hardly recollect the name of the actor upon whom this song was filmed.

Film critics tell us that Madan Mohan’s talent was underutilised because he had no known film maker or actor to back him the way Naushad was preferred by Dilip Kumar, or Raj Kapoor had Shankar Jaikishan, and Dev Anand S.D and then R.D Burman. Madan Mohan composed more than a hundred musical scores, but most of them were unused.

He became an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1975 at age 51. He died early. And the world lost a composer who could weld poetry and music, both of which are the basic instincts of human beings, together in such wonderful ways.

Madan Mohan returned with a bang to popular memory when his unused music was resurrected by his son Sanjeev Kohli for Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara (2004). The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar and most of the songs were sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Those wonderful lyrics and the musical scores sent waves of nostalgia awash for the genius of Madan Mohan, the man who brought melody into our lives.

Neera Chandhoke was a professor of political science at Delhi University.

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