Corruption in India

Corruption is Social Evil

“Will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”  ― Mahatma Gandhi

All luxury corrupts either the morals or the state - Joubert

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely - Lord Acton

Corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency – Unknown
Now-a-days corruption can be seen everywhere. It is like cancer in public life.  A country where leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Lai Bahadur Shastri and Kamraj have taken birth and led a value-based is now facing the problem of corruption

Corruption Definitions:

Corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal.

·       Corruption can be defined as an act done with intent to give some advantage inconsistent with official duty and the rights of others. Corruption may include many activities. It includes bribery and embezzlement.  

·       Oxford dictionary defined it as an dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery:

·       Macmillan dictionary defined it as an dishonest or illegal behaviour by officials or people in positions of power, especially  when  they accept money in exchange for doing things for someone.

Corruption in India

Corruption in India is a major issue and adversely affects its economy. It is a result of the connection between bureaucrats, politicians and criminals. Earlier, bribes were paid for getting wrong things done, but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at right time. Further, corruption has become something respectable in India, because respectable people are involved in it.

In its 2008 study, Transparency International reports about 40% of Indians had firsthand experience of paying bribes or using a contact to get a job done in public office.

In 2012 India has ranked 94th out of 176 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, tied with Benin, Colombia, Djibouti, Greece, Moldova, Mongolia, and Senegal.

History of Corruption in India:

Corruption in the Indian society has prevailed from time immemorial in one form or the other. Famous Ancient Indian Political thought thinker Kautilya in his book Arhasastra discussed about Corruption and he suggested various means to eradicate and fight corruption. During the Moghal period and in 17th century, during India's colonial era, corruption had become a serious issue.. Numerous East-India Company officials were arrested and sent to the Tower of London on bribery charges.

 Political corruption is worst in India.  In 1960 Chakravarthula Rajagopalachari suggested License Raj was often at the core of corruption. The former Indian Union Home Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October 1993, studied the problem of the criminalization of politics and of the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats in India.  The report contained several observations made by official agencies on the criminal network which was virtually running a parallel government.

As of December 2008, 120 of India's 523 parliament members were accused of crimes, under India's First Information Report procedure.  Many of the biggest scandals since 2010 have involved very high levels of government, including Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers, such as in the 2G spectrum scam, the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam and the Adarsh Housing Society scam, Coal Mining Scam, mining scandal in Karnataka and cash for vote scam.

Types of Political Corruption

Corruption in politics can be classified as

·       Bribery

·       Trading in influence

·       Patronage

·       Nepotism and cronyism

·       Electoral Fraud

·       Embezzlement

·       Kickbacks

·       Unholy alliance

·       Involvement in organized Crime  

 

Major Factors Responsible For Corruption:

The causes of corruption are many and complex. The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems, numerous government departments each with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly by government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes.

Most of the largest sources of corruption in India are entitlement programmes and social spending schemes enacted by the Indian government. Examples include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and National Rural Health Mission.  Other daily sources of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on its interstate highways. Indian media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing trillions of dollars in Swiss banks.

Following are some of the causes of corruption.

·       Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programmes and policies.

·       The most important factor is the nature of the human being. People in general, have a great thirst for luxuries and comforts and as a result of which they get themselves involved in all unscrupulous activities that result in monetary or material benefits.

·       Moral and spiritual values are not given utmost importance in educational system, which is highly responsible for the deterioration of the society.

·       Vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life.

·       The salary paid to employees is very less and as a result of which they are forced to earn money by illegal ways.

·       Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialist fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favor. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times’ meals.

·       Complex laws and procedures alienate common people to ask for any help from government.

·       The punishments imposed on the criminals are inadequate.

Measures to Control Corruption:

There are some specific measures to control increasing corruption.

·       The use of Right to The Information Act (RTI) - It gives one all the required information about the Government on time.

·       Local bodies, Independent of the government, like Lokpal, Lokayukthas, Lokadalats, CVCs and Vigilance Commissions, VC’s of various state governments should be formed to provide speedy justice with low expenses.

·       More and more courts like special courts and fast track courts should be opened for speedy & inexpensive justice so that cases don’t linger in courts for years and justice is delivered on time.

·       Some people are of the opinion that the wages paid are insufficient to feed their families. If they are paid better, they would not be forced to accept bribe.

·       Declarations of property and assets of the government employees and the legislators are made compulsory.

·       Proper, impartial, and unbiased use of various anti-social regulations to take strong, deterrent, and timely legal action against the offenders, irrespective of their political influences or money power.

·       An atmosphere has to create where the good, patriotic, intellectuals come forward to serve the country with pride, virtue, and honesty for the welfare of the people of India.

·       Foolproof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion for politicians and bureaucrats.  The role of the politician should be minimized.

·       Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption.

·       People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate.

·       Electoral reforms like State funding of election expenses for candidates; strict enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in-party elections, making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns; denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in.

·       Responsiveness, accountability and transparency are a must for a clean system.

·       Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizens friendly, accountable, ethical and transparent.

These steps should be taken to correct the situation overall.

 Conclusion:

Corruption is a cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. “When democracy becomes corrupt, the best gravitates to the bottom, the worst floats to the top and the vice is replaced by more vice”. Though it looks very difficult to control corruption but it is not impossible. It is not only the responsibility of the government but ours too. We can eliminate corruption if there will be joint effort. We must have some high principles to follow so that we may be models for the coming generation. Let us take a view to create an atmosphere free from corruption. That will be our highest achievement as human beings.

Indian Ex- President Pratibha Patil Says Corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective.

                                                       

A strong youth movement in the country only can remove corruption and each student should take a vow to begin this exercise courageously within the family-Former President Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

Foot Notes:

1.     Good Reads- Quotes about Corruption

2.     Top 7 Corruption Quotes

3.     Corruption in India – Wikipedia

4.     Political Corruption in India – Wikipedia   

5.     Essay  on Corruption – Chetan

6.     Corruption in India – UPSC Portal

7.      Corruption in India –Civil Service India – Karthik Babu

8.     Causes and remedies of Corruption – Sanjeet

9.     Ex-Presidents’ views on Corruption  

తెలుగు లో ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యం

భారతదేశం లోని 28 రాష్ట్రలలో ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ ఒకటి. ఇది అక్షర క్రమంలో ముందు ఉంది, భారతదేశం వివిద మతాలకు నిలయం. వాటిలో ఇస్లాం ఒకటి. దేశ జనాభాలో 13% ముస్లింలు కలరు. వారి ప్రధానమైన భాష ఉర్దూ.ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ జనాభాలో దాదాపు 10—12% వరకు ముస్లిం జనాభా కలదు. వీరి మాతృభాష ఉర్దూ. వీరు మాట్లాడే ఉర్దూ  ఒక ప్రత్యకమైన యాసను కలిగిఉండీ దక్కనీ  ఉర్దూ  గా పీలుబడుతుంది. ఉర్దూ  మాట్లాడేవారి సంఖ్య  రాష్ట్రంలో 18% వరకు ఉంది.

ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్ లో ముస్లింలు ప్రధానంగా హైదరాబాద్, కడప, కర్నూల్, చిత్తూర్, అనంతపూర్, గుంటూర్, ప్రకాశం, కృష్ణ జిల్లాలలో అదికంగా కనిపిస్తారు. వీరిలో ఆదిక శాతం ప్రజలు ఉర్దూతో పాటు తెలుగు భాషను కూడా మాట్లాడుతారు. హైదరాబాద్, కడప, కర్నూల్, చిత్తూర్, అనంతపూర్, గుంటూర్ జిల్లాలలో ఉర్దూ 2వ ఆదికార భాషగా ఉంది. ఆదిక శాతం మంది  ముస్లిం విద్యార్దులు తెలుగు, ఆంగ్ల, ఉర్దూ మీడియంలలో తమవిద్యాబ్యాసం కొనసాగిస్తున్నారు. కొంతమంది ధార్మిక విద్యను భోదించే మదరసాలలో విద్యాబ్యాసం  చేస్తున్నారు. ఆధునిక పరిస్తితులకు తగినట్లు మదరసాలలో కేవలం మత విద్యానేకాక, ఆంగ్లం, కంప్యూటర్ విద్యను కూడా భోదించుచున్నారు.

ముస్లింల పవిత్ర గ్రంధం ఖురాన్ . ఇది అరబ్బీ భాషలో అవతరించినది. ముస్లింలు ఖురాన్, హదీసులను ప్రామాణిక గ్రంధాలుగా పరిగణించేదరు. అరబ్బీ భాషలోని ఖురాన్ను తెలుగులో అనువదించడం ద్వారా దాన్ని సామాన్య ముస్లిం ప్రజల వద్దకు చేర్చటానికి అనేక ప్రయత్నాలు జరిగినాయి. ఖోరాన్ను తెలుగులో మొదటిసారిగా శ్రీ చిలుకూరి నారాయణ రావు గారు 1925 లో అనువదించిరి.  ఆ తరువాత అనేకమంది రచయితలు, 1945 లో శ్రీ ఖాసిం ఖాన్ సాహెబ్ , 1947 లో మౌల్వీ అబ్దుల్ గఫూర్ సాహెబ్ గారు, ఆ పిదప జనాబ్ హమీదుల్లా షరీఫ్ గారు ఇంకా అనేకులు అనువదించి తెలుగు పాఠక  లోకానికి అందించినారు
.

ఖురాన్  అను పదానికి  అతను పాటించేను లేక అతను జోడించేను అని అర్థము. దీనికి ఇంకా   కొన్ని ఇతర పేరులు కలవు. అందు ముఖ్యమైనవి పుర్ఖాన్ (సత్యాసత్యములు విడమరిచి తెలుపునది) కలాముల్లాహ్(భగవంతుని వాక్కులు), అజ్జికర్ (జ్ఞప్తి చేయునది లేక మేల్కొపునది) అల్ముమైన్ (పూర్వ గ్రంధములలో తెలిపిన సత్యములను సంరక్షించునది ) మొదలగునవి.

ఖురాన్  గ్రంధములో మొత్తం 114 సూరాలు కలవు. ఒక్కొక్క సూరా లోని ఒక్కొక్క వాక్యమును ఆయత్ అని అందురు. ఖురాన్ లో మొత్తం 6616 ఆయత్లు, 77954 అక్షరములు కలవు. ఖురాన్ను చదవటాని వీలుగా 30 భాగాలుగా విభాగించడమైనది. ఒక్కొక్క భాగమును పారా అని అందురు. ఈ పారాలలోని చిన్న భాగములను రుకూ అని అందురు.

ఖురాన్ను కంఠస్తం చేసిన వారిని హాఫీజు అని అందురు, దీనిని స్వరబద్దముగా పలికే  విదానంను ఖిరాత్ అందురు. ఖిరాత్ తెలిసినవారు ఖారీలు అనబడేదరు. ఇస్లాం అను పదమునకు తెలుగు లో శాంతి అని అర్థము.

ఖురాన్ తరువాత ముస్లింలకు పరమ ప్రామాణికం అయినవి హాదీసులు. ఖురాన్  దైవ వాణి.  ఇది మహా ప్రవక్త నోటిద్వారా మానవాళికి అందచేయబడినది. హాదీసులు అనగా దైవ సందేశహరుల (స.ఆ.వ.స.)సూక్తి, ఆచరణ తక్రిర్ లను హాదీసులు అందురు. ఈ హాదీసులను సున్నత్ అని కూడా అందురు. ఆరబ్బీ భాషలోని ఖురాన్ , హాదీసులను సరళమైన తెలుగు లో అనువదించి సామాన్య పాఠకులకు అందించడం కోసం అనేక మంది  రచయితలు, సంఘాలు  పూనుకొన్నాయి
.

ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యం అంతులేని ఆగాధం లాంటిది. ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యాన్ని తెలుగులోకి అనువదించి సామాన్య పాఠస కులకు మత జ్ఞానాన్ని భోదించడానికి ఆధునిక కాలంలో ప్రయత్నాలు తీవ్రంగా సాగినాయి. ముఖ్యంగా హైదరాబాద్, విజయవాడ, కర్నూల్, నగరాలలోని అనేక పుస్తక సంస్తలు ఖురాన్ ను తెలుగు లోకి ప్రముఖ  పండితులచే అనువదింప చేసి సామాన్యుల వద్దకు చేర్చుచున్నారు.అదేవిదంగా హాదీసుల సంకలనాలు, ప్రవక్త ప్రవచనాలు, హాదీసు మకరందం అనే పేర్లతో  అనేక మంది రచయితలు హాదీసులను పాఠకులకు పరిచయం చేయుచున్నారు.

ఖురాన్ , హాదీసుల తరువాత ముస్లిం ప్రజలకు ప్రధానమైనది సీరత్ అనగా మహా ప్రవక్త (స.ఆ.వ.స) జీవిత చరిత్ర. మహా ప్రవక్త, శాంతిదూత ఐన మహమ్మద్ ప్రవక్త పై అనేక గ్రంధాలు తెలుగు లో రచింపబడినవి. మహాప్రవక్త జీవిత గాధ, జీవిత విశేషాలు, వారి ప్రవర్తన-సూక్తులు సామాన్య జనాలకు అందుబాటులోనికి వచ్చినవి.

ఖురాన్ , హదీసులు,సీరత్ లతో పాటు ఫిఖా  అనగా ధర్మశాస్త్రం పై అనేక గ్రంధాలు వెలుబడినవి. ముస్లిం ధర్మశాస్త్రం- దాని వివరణ ఫిఖా  గ్రంధాలలో లబ్యమవుతుంది. ఇవియే కాక ముస్లింల  జీవనవిధానము, ముస్లింలు పాటించవలసిన నియమాలు, రోజా, జకాత్, నమాజ్, ధార్మిక అంశాలు,జమాత్, షరియత్, ప్రవక్తలు  మొదలగు విషయాలపై అనేక గ్రంధాలు వెలుబడి సామాన్య ముస్లింలకు మార్గదర్శకంగా నిలుస్తున్నాయి. ముస్లిం పర్సనల్  లా, షరియత్, పై తెలుగు లో గ్రంధాలు వెలుబడినాయి. తెలుగు ఇస్లామిక్ అనువాద సాహిత్యం శరవేగం తో ముందుకు నడుస్తున్నది. అరబ్బీ, ఉర్దూ, బాషల తో బాటు తెలుగు నేర్చిన అనేకులు అనువాదకులుగా వ్యవరించున్నారు. వీరందరూ అనువాద మత సాహిత్యాన్ని సామాన్యుల ముంగిట చేర్చుచున్నారు.

తెలుగులో ముస్లిం సాహిత్యాన్ని వెలువరిస్తున్న సంస్తలలో తెలుగు ఇస్లామిక్ పబ్లికేషన్స్, అల్ హక్ పబ్లికేషన్స్, ట్రూత్ పబ్లికేషన్స్, రియజుద్దీన్ అలీ మెమోరియల్ పబ్లికేషన్స్, గఫూరియా పబ్లికేషన్స్ ఇంకా అనేక ఇతర పబ్లికేషన్స్ కలవు. ఇవన్నివిజయవాడ, కర్నూల్,హైదరాబాద్ మొదలగు ప్రాంతాలలో విస్తరించి ఉన్నాయి. తెలుగు మాట్లాడే ముస్లింలలోని ఉపజాతి ఐన దూదేకుల వారి కోసం అనేక సంస్తలు తెలుగు లో పూర్తిగా ఇస్లామిక్ మత సాహిత్యాన్నిఅనువదించి  అందిస్తున్నాయి.

ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యాన్ని తెలుగు పాఠకులకు అందిస్తున్న రచయితలలో ఎస్‌ఎం మాలిక్, హఫీజ్ ఎస్‌ఎం రసూల్ షర్ఫీ, ఇర్ఫాన్, మహమ్మద్ అజీజూర్ రహమాన్, మౌల్వీ అబ్దుల్ గఫూర్, వాహెద్, ఇక్బాల్ అహ్మద్,ఉస్మాన్ ఖాన్,  హమీదుల్లా షరీఫ్,  పోరుమామిళ్ల షేక్ అబ్దుల్ హకీం, హీదాయత్   మొదలగు అనేకులు  ముఖ్యులు.  అమూల్యమైన అరబిక్,ఉర్దూ,భాషలలోని  ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యాన్ని, తెలుగులోకి అనువదించి దాన్ని సామాన్య పాఠకులకు అందించటంలో వీరు సఫలీకృతులుఐనారు. శరవేగంగా విస్తరిస్తున్న తెలుగు అనువాద  మత సాహిత్యంలో తెలుగు ఇస్లామిక్ సాహిత్యం ముఖ్యమైనదిగా చెప్పవచ్చును.

1-11-13 గీటురాయి లో ప్రచురితం 

Women’s Movements in the Post Independent Era of Andhra Pradesh

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Social movements can be classified into women’s movements, Dalit movements, Tribal movements, Agrarian and Farmers’ movements, Regional identity movements, and Human Rights movements etc. on the basis of the socio-economic characteristics of the participants and the issues involved. All these movements are aimed at acquiring due spaces for different sections of populations and regions. Social movements may sometimes determine public policy

The state of Andhra Pradesh has a distinct place in the history of social movements in India. The state has witnessed many social movements involving marginalized and disadvantaged groups and regions, these movements have expanded social and political spaces of the women. Andhra Pradesh is the only state with a vibrant women’s self help group movement. The presence of a strong women’s movement probably provided a base for this.

Women’s Movements in Post independent Andhra Pradesh.

The roots of the women’s movements In Andhra Pradesh dates back to the nineteenth century.

In Andhra Pradesh women in early 50s joined struggles for the rural poor such as the Telangana movement. Women played an important role in the Telangana struggle. They actively participated in the land movement, in agricultural labor wage struggles, in seizure of landlords' grain etc. They acted as couriers, as political agitators, and in new centre’s as organizers of people’s movements and mass organizations.

They had to face molestation and rape, apart from beatings on a large scale. The story of their heroic and stubborn resistance in defense of their personal dignity, against molestation, torture and rape, is an inspiring one.

 The transition of the economy in rural areas from semi-feudal to capitalist relations from the 1960s has created a need for the poor in general and rural women belonging to landless agricultural labor and poor peasant households in particular to participate in women movements.

 During the 1970s the left parties organized agricultural labor, peasants and women on class lines. Higher wages for agricultural labor, access to land, and protection against famines were the issues focused upon. The extreme left parties were more sensitive than the Left parties to issues of caste and gender oppression although they too worked within the party rather than in separate women’s organizations in the early 1970s. 

The women of Andhra Pradesh joined the Naxalite Movement also. Naxalite movement had its presence in many states like Andhra Pradesh and it was found that CPIM (Maoist) has a significant cadre of women from Andhra Pradesh. The women cadre of CPIM (Maoist) from Andhra Pradesh participated in the Naxal operations at AOB, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Bengal (Red Corridor).  In the Naxalite movement, women have played various roles as couriers, combatants, peace builders, activists and politicians.

The mid-1970s autonomous women’s groups (AWG). Were brought in to light. These groups claimed to focus more sharply on gender and feminist issues It was increasingly realized that women’s movements needed to be organized from a feminist perspective with autonomy of organization, Some of the earliest autonomous women’s groups were the Progressive Organization of Women (POW, Hyderabad), The POW in Hyderabad organized new and fresh protests against dowry

 

The 1970s and 1980s witnessed increased violence on women. In the pre-emergency period (early 1970s) the Progressive Organization for Women (POW) emerged and brought to the fore problems and issues of middle class women. The movement organized middle class women on social and cultural issues like dowry, alcoholism, relief from the double burden of housework and outside work and economic issues like equal pay and the right to work.

All the major political parties, the Congress, BJP, CPI, and CPI (M) in Andhra Pradesh have their Women’s wings. Their political commitment is more leftist than Liberal.

From the mid-1990s the strategy of women’s organizations shifted to a ‘Joint Action Committee’ as an issue-based expression of solidarity, having their individual identities

In Andhra Pradesh, India, an anti-arrack movement in the 1990s was created which grew out of the awareness brought about by the mass-literacy campaigns of the National Literacy Mission (NLC). It began as a spontaneous movement against alcoholism in a remote village in Dubaganta, supported by the NLC in Nellore and adopted by the other districts of Andhra Pradesh. It is noted that there was no organized leadership to start within the anti-arrack movement.

Most of the groundwork was done with local initiative, with women collectively protesting against arrack in their villages. With the movement gathering momentum, political parties entered at the very last stage. Eventually, the movement resulted in the declaration of total prohibition of liquor in India. In addition, it provided a change in the party in power in the state. It also showed a feminist way of looking at issues, especially politics, thus aligning women's issues to the larger issues of state and society.

However, as a result of the deeply rooted problem of alcoholism and its political dynamics the agitation could not be sustained for long. Issues of such nature need a broad based movement though sporadic agitations against arrack by women still continue. The

Women’s movement in the state has created a political space for itself, and generated political consciousness and an understanding of political processes among women

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By the nineties the state had effectively taken over the women’s movement by mobilizing them around thrift issues. In the context of globalization, the state treats women

as a homogenous group to address any action or programme for women. The creation of women’s self-help groups on a mass scale seems to nurture depoliticized collective

action that is not threatening the power structure and political order. On the other hand there is a shift within the women’s movement from the ‘one women’s movement’ of the late 1970s to ‘several women’s movements’ from various perspectives of regional, local, caste, ethnic and minority specific issues

In 2000, with world Bank support, the government of Andhra Pradesh expanded the program as a thrift based program where women could make small savings, revolve their own resources, and meet their families’ critical consumption and food needs. The program has since evolved into a movement for the all-round empowerment of poor women-social, legal political, and economic promotes women's social, economic, legal and political empowerment to reduce poverty among the poor and the poorest of the poor.

The World Bank project has helped take the women's Self Help Group movement to all 22 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The women Self Help Groups (SHGs) hold regular weekly meetings, save and repay regularly, and use trained bookkeepers for proper bookkeeping. All SHG members abide by the principles of saying no to child marriages, child labor, domestic violence and wasteful expenditures The women discuss family planning, the number of children they should have, and the spacing between births, indicating a significant change in their ability to exercise reproductive choice within the household. They also  take up difficult issues like domestic violence, the trafficking of women and children, and the jogini system of exploitation. Women’s groups have been able to prevent child marriages, .
Reduce child labor. Women’s groups discuss sensitive issues such as gender violence, and make special efforts to identify victims and help them to start new livelihoods. Social empowerment issues have become the basis for the subsequent economic empowerment of women. The program enables women’s organizations to develop the skills to negotiate with market institutions and develop other financial services. Grassroots leaders developed through the program have contested local government elections; and 9500 women from SHGs and their federations have been elected at various levels.

During  the  last decade Women Movements in Andhra Pradesh made a number of gains in a variety of spheres:  Domestic Violence, Harassment of the Women by their In -Laws, Atrocities against women,  Eve-teasing, Women /Child Trafficking,  Child Labor, Save Girl Child , and the Jogini System Etc.

Eve-Teasing incidents like Sri Lakshmi murder Case  at Guntur, rape and death case of  Ayesha of Tenali and  the gruesome murder  incident at Tenali  recently  where a dalit women lost her life saving her daughter  from eve-teasers  which attracted the attention of whole Andhra Pradesh where the predators were booked under Nirbhaya Act for the  first time in Andhra Pradesh.

                                               

Initiatives for Women Empowerment in Andhra Pradesh

Empowerment of women is the hall mark of the approach of the Government in its development initiatives (social, political and economic). The State Empowerment Policy for women aims at the following objectives:-

- Gender equality
- Gender justice
- Social security
- Elimination of discrimination against women in all walks of life
- Economic development and integration of women into main stream of economy.

As a token of state’s commitment to remove all barriers in the way of women’s participation in the main stream of development, the State Govt. declared 1997 as the year of ‘Gender Equality with Social Justice’. Steps have been taken to provide specific provisions for women towards equality in all fields, political, social, economic and cultural.

The Department is playing a conscious role in empowering of women by striving to enforce:

• The reservation of 33 1/3rd Jobs for women in Govt. and public sector with carry forward policy.
• The 33 1/3rd of budget of all departments for developmental programmes for women.
• Implementation of Girl Child Protection Scheme.
• Opportunities to participate through mother’s committees and IGA groups. The year 2001 has celebrated as ‘Year of Women Empowerment and the year 2003 as the Year of Adolescent Girls’.
• 50% of seats are reserved for the Women in the Local body Elections.
• State Mahila Commission was established.
• The Government of Andhra Pradesh Started Bangarutalli Programme in 2013  for the overall development of the girl child and gave it legal sanctity.

The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated a unique integration of programmes across key departments to improve health, nutrition, water and sanitation services offered to women and children. And, the State government’s strategy to improve the health and nutrition status of women and children — inter-departmental coordination — has attracted the attention of the Centre too.

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN ANDHRA PRADESH.

The status of women in Andhra Pradesh in comparison to the all-India situation shows higher female workforce participation rate, less gender disparity in workforce

Participation rate, lower female unemployment rate and higher female share in wage employment in the nonagricultural sector. This reflects the greater extent of female

Participation in the economy of Andhra Pradesh, given the fact that there had been no public policy regarding entitlement of land to women until recently. These factors clearly indicate the relatively larger space in power structure occupied by women in Andhra Pradesh, compared to the all-India level

The higher participation of women in household decisions and relatively lower incidence of women experiencing violence caused by spouses (NFHS III) indicates that women in AP are able to exercise greater degree of independence in comparison to all-India. The

higher participation of women in wage and self-employment programmes implemented by the state government highlights the fact that women in AP are more connected to the

State than at the all India level (GOI, 2006).

However, AP occupies the first and the second place in regard to the incidence and rate of total cognizable crimes committed against women among all the states of India. This clearly indicates that the expanded private and public space for women had resulted in questioning patriarchal values, leading to enhanced crime against women in the state compared to All-India.

Ultimately, it can be concluded that women’s movements in AP have resulted in more space for women in the economy, society, polity and also within the household in the state compared to all-India.

References:

·       Women’s Movement in India by Aparna Basu

·       Women Movement in Andhra Pradessh by R. Pandey

·       When Women awake by M.Larsson

·       Anti Arrack movement in Andhra Pradesh by B. Sarveswara Rao

·       Anti Arrack agitation of women in Andhra Pradesh by DN Reddy

·       Human and Social Development in AP by Aponline.com

·       Dalit and Naxalite movements in AP by Economic and Political Weekly.

·       Women’s role in the Naxalite Movement by Prathibha Singh

·       Telangana Peoples struggle and its lessons by P.Sundaraiah.

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