Complaint Against A Radio Channel In Mumbai

A few days back, on 21st March 2008, a statement was made on the radio channel: radio city radio 91.1fm in Mumbai, in between 3.00-3.10pm. It goes like this:
"woh muuchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata, woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata." ('What Is A Mustache That Can't Be Curled Up, What Is A Girl Who Is Not Teased.')

This statement violates:
Fundamental Duties with regards to women and also violation of Self Segulatory Guidelines for the Broadcasting Sector, 2008. (content certification rules, 2008, theme 7: harm & offence, point no.8) It also misuses Fundamental Rights: Freedom Of Expression (Art.19) as enshrined in the Constitution.

Dnyeyam- Know Yourself has decided to have a take on this and ask the radio channel to publicly apologise for this derogatory remark passed on women/girls. We have witnesses who have listened to this statement.

We have tried mailing the letter (as written below) to the press and to the visual media so that they take this statement and publish or report it in their respective media; but with no success. We request you to go through the letter, sign it and forward it in your friends list so that it revolves through the internet and later on we can send it to responsible heads so that a stern action is taken against the radio channel.

We expect your support to the fullest in regaining sensitivity and equality amongst both the gender and both the sexes so that sexism through and in the media is controlled.

P.S.:

1) If you know any person or a group who have listened to Radio 91.1fm on that date & time please do tell them to contact us on dnyeyam@gmail.com

2) Please join the online campaign on the following url: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/obsceneremarks/

Thanking You.
In Solidarity,
Dnyeyam- Know Yourself.

book marks display at new india centre, colaba.

206 book marks had been made by the members of Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, of which 77 were exclusively made on 'Women'. There were 8 posters made on 'Women' with messages written on them.

poster 1 stucked at new india assurance, fort, mumbai

STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE !!!

A Simple Message, but speaks a lot...
typically Baba Amte stlye!
Yes, Hands Are Not For Beating, But For Building!
This message is not only for the girl child or a woman but for all...

Domestic Violence, faced by many girl children, not only in the third world but also in the first world, house wives (rather home makers) even office going women face this brutality.

As there is a transformation from traditional women- being home makers to todays modern office-corporate going woman, parallely there is a transformation in the problems faced by the same woman. Yes, the woman as a sex or rather gender remained the same but problems started variying... from the food gathering-hunting stage, the agricutural era, the industrial era and todays the intellectual era wherein most of the work had to be done by the woman in the house (dominated by the eldest woman) and today she is handling dual responsibilities each having multiple roles. Even though the urban woman is economically empowered (although not all) she doesn't have a say in the house which she belongs to. (be it maternal or in-laws) The man still continues to be the key decision maker in the house which allows him to dominate over her. Following the rules of patriarchy (indirectly manusmriti) he ensures that she is kept docile, dominated and obeys his 'orders' .

How does he ensures this? Simply by controlling her through physical, mental & emotional violence. Some feminists would argue that anatomy is not the reason of this 'dominant-dominated' relationship, but it is a fact. It is the most simplest way of contolling any human being: be it another man himself, a girl, a child or a woman. These physical sanctions give man the edge to control the woman in his house. To add to worse, our Indian culture and tradition doesn't allow to retaliate against a man; thus she suffers in silence. Even after a revolution in the IT sector, even after modernisation, the woman has sanctions. (indicating that there is no connection between the socio-economic status of a woman and modernisation)

There are many reasons for domestic violence apart from patriarchical culture. Where domestic violence is not only about physical beating or physical sanctions it also includes mental-emotional torture, non-consensual sexual relationships. Frustration on man in his work, (outside home) his inability to earn and the current reason is his inability to earn more than his wife: which is actually considered to be 'unmanly'. Unsatisfactory sexual relations between the husband and wife leads to marital rapes. (including physical sanctions) Conflicts between the daughter-in-law & her in-laws leading to domestic violence are not a passe. Many a times the mother-in-law is the perpetuor of the sanction. Now-a-days media instead of showing progreessive images of women, shows regressive images. Outright portrayal of domestic violence in 'their' daily soaps effectively concludes in the 'mind of the man' that he is the only authority in the family, he has the sole power in the family to make or break 'major' decisions in the family. He takes for granted that he has all powers over all women in his house and that they should behave according to his 'whims & fancies' , which he calls 'rules of his house'.

But we all should understand that "All That Is Personal Is Political". This means whatever is happenning in a personal life of a woman (be it positive or negative) has implications in the social, economic & political life which again boomerangs into the woman's personal life.

We all have to speak against domestic violence: of all types- physical, mental, emotional & sexual. The woman has to start speaking up against it and the man has to support her in this struggle against domestic violence. The man should understand that he is because of a woman and the woman should understand that she has all rights to speak against any kind of injustice she faces.

Lets build our struggle to beat domestic violence!

-- Sachidananda.
(Eternal Happiness)

fund raising program...

Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, is a social organization working towards Women empowerment, Reforms In Education & Know Your Rights.

We are making ‘Book Marks- With A Message’ as its fund raising program and selling it at Rs. 2/-, Rs. 3/- & Rs. 5/-
The messages are in English, Hindi & Marathi.

Dnyeyam- Know Yourself, is having a poster exhibition on the eve of International Women’s Day at New India Centre, Colaba, Mumbai on 7th March 2008 from 3 pm to 6 pm.
We are even selling those Book Marks on that day.
Interested can attend the exhibition.

Dnyeyam- Know Yourself is Urgently Needing Volunteers for the exhibition and also for helping them in their work.

Please do contact us on our e-mail.

-- Dnyeyam- Know Yourself Team.

book marks made by members of Dnyeyam- Know Yourself

so tru in this millenium...

Book On Communalism...

COMMUNALISM

Illustrated Primer by
RAM PUNIYANI

Publisher: Mumbai Sarvodaya Friendship Center, Mulund, Mumbai.

Contribution: Rs. 60/- Pages 128.

This book deals with the phenomenon of sectarian violence and politics in a very lucid manner. The phenomenon of communalism has come as a major threat to our democracy in current times. This phenomenon is also breaking our plural values and inter- community amity.

Contents- Babri Demolition, Post Babri Violence, Godhra, Gujarat Carnage, Citizens Tribunal report, India's synergetic traditions, mixed heritage, Rise and growth of Communalism, Values of India's Freedom movement, Gandhi, Muslim and Hindu communalism, Doctoring mass consciousness, Hindutva, RSS and exploited sections of society, Tasks for Secular Movement, Vande Matram controversy, Ram Setu or Adams bridge, Terrorism, Civilizations, clash or alliance.

The book is in the form of brief answers to the prevalent myths in a very simple style. It is richly illustrated with pictures, cartoons and tables. It gives a comprehensive view of the problem of communalism as being faced by the
nation. A must read for all concerned with defense of democratic and secular values.

for further details contact:

proton54@gmail.com