Month: February 2024

News Broadcasting Authority Orders Times Now Navbharat, News 18 India, Aaj Tak to Take Down 3 TV Shows

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has called for several television news programmes to be taken down and fine paid, for their role in spreading hatred and communal disharmony.

New Delhi: The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has called for several television news programmes to be taken down and fine paid, for their role in spreading hatred and communal disharmony. The NBDSA is currently headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, Justice A.K. Sikri.

Times Now Navbharat has been fined Rs 1 lakh and News 18 India has been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 and a warning has been issued to Aaj Tak. All three channels have been ordered to take down the online versions of the programmes within seven days, reports LiveLaw.

This follows complaints lodged against the communal and inflammatory shows by activist Indrajeet Ghorpade. Times Now Navbharat, a part of the mega Times group, has been penalised as anchor Himanshu Dixit was found to have targeted Muslims as a community and termed inter-faith relationships as “love jihad”.

News 18 India, now part of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s group, was fined for as many as three shows, two of which were anchored by Aman Chopra, and one by Amish Devgan. These shows have been penalised as they were found to have communalised the Shraddha Walker murder case as one of so-called “love jihad.”

Aaj Tak, of the India Today group, was warned for its show anchored by Sudhir Chaudhary, which generalised acts of violence during Ram Navami as one of targeting a particular community.

The complainant had cited violations of the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards, regarding impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, and accuracy. The NBDSA also cited breaches of guidelines related to hate speech prevention and avoiding communal narratives in reporting incidents.

On the Times Navbharat programme on “love jihad”, the NBDSA observed, “on a perusal of the impugned broadcast, it appears that at the very beginning of the broadcast, the anchor has concluded that men from a certain community lured women from another community by hiding their religious identity and then committed violence or murders against such women and every such violence or murder committed on women of a certain community related to love jihad’.”

“This is evident from the questions raised and statements made by the anchor during the impugned broadcast. When some of the panellists expressed their concerns regarding the communal angle being given to such alleged incidents and regarding selective cases of violence against women where the perpetrator belonged to a particular community, the anchor shouted them down and did not allow them to express their views,” NBDSA ruled.

The NBDSA order stated, speaking of instances of inter-faith relationships, “some such instances should not lead to making generalized statements regarding inter-faith marriages by giving it a communal colour. Every citizen, from whichever religion, has a right to marry a person of his/her choice, irrespective of the religion to which he/she belongs.”

“Merely because a Hindu girl married a boy of another faith would not tantamount to love jihad unless it is established that such a Hindu girl was duped or coerced into the marriage. Further, because of few incidents of such forced marriages, an entire community cannot be branded. Thus, it was not proper to generalize the incidents with the tickers such as “Love तो बहाना है … Hindu बेटियाँ निशाना हैं” Jihadiyon se Beti Bachao” it added.

NBDSA stated that the term “love jihad” should be used “with serious introspection in future broadcasts as religious stereotyping can corrode the secular fabric of the nation”, reports LiveLaw.

On February 4, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a written response to Parliament, when asked about so-called “love jihad” that “the term ‘Love Jihad’ is not defined under the extant laws. No such case of ‘Love Jihad’ has been reported by any of the central agencies.” It also said that “Article 25 of the Constitution provides for the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health. Various courts have upheld this view including the Kerala High Court.” The ministry did add that “two cases from Kerala involving inter-faith marriages have been investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).”

Indian TV news channels being filled with hate has been a matter of concern for some years now. The Supreme Court, while hearing a matter on the prevalence of hate in Indian media in 2022, cited the audience as a reason. “Hate drives TRPs, drives profit,” one judge said.

“It is the genaralisation of these incidents by targeting the entire community, which is found to be violative of the principles of Impartiality, Objectivity and Neutrality under the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards (“Code of Ethics”) and the Specific Guidelines covering Reportage relating to Racial and Religious Harmony. In the impugned broadcast, the anchor had also violated Clauses (f) and (h) of the Specific Guidelines for Anchors conducting Programmes including Debates,” the NBDSA order stated.

Last year, on March 2, 2023, the NBDSA had ordered three TV news channels to remove their programmes. Two of them were repeat offenders, News18 India and Times Now, apart from Zee TV. They were asked to remove as many as seven programmes broadcast by them from their online platforms and YouTube because these were in violation of the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards.

The News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) [formerly known as News Broadcasters Association (NBA)] is an industry body, not an arm of the government. This represents the private television news, current affairs and digital broadcasters. It describes itself as “the collective voice of the news, current affairs and digital broadcasters in India. It is an organization funded entirely by its members” on its website.

‘Because He’s Muslim?’ Asks Wife of Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescuer Whose House Was Demolished

In its press note, the DDA has clarified that at no point of time, before or during the demolition exercise, were the DDA officials aware about the recent contribution of Vakil Hassan in the rescue operation of the workers trapped in the tunnel in Uttarakhand.

New Delhi: In a tragic turn of events, Vakil Hassan, the man who had recently emerged as a national hero for spearheading the rescue operation of 41 construction workers trapped hundreds of feet under the collapsed Silkyara Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi last November, lost his home to a demolition drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

In less than 27 hours, Hassan and his team of rat miners rescued 41 people after digging and ploughing through hundreds of tonnes of concrete with simple tools, a feat that couldn’t be achieved by the best engineering minds for 17 days with all their cutting edge machinery failing to make a significant dent. This was followed by an extraordinary thriller-like televised rescue operation catapulting Vakil and his little known team of poor rat miners into national headlines. Both Prime Minister Modi and President Droupadi Murmu had praised the team of rat miners for their bravery. Today, Vakil, his family, and his friends feel lonely and betrayed.

Vakil and his wife, Shabana, were not at their residence when DDA officials arrived in the neighbourhood. “They knocked at our door and said that they are our neighbours, but I didn’t open it,” said Aliza, Vakil’s daughter.

“They were talking rudely. I told them that papa is not here right now. Then they told me to open the door. When I didn’t open the door, they said that they’ll break it. I asked them to wait for papa. But they broke into the house. They hit my brother and took him away. Papa was also taken to the police station and they also took away his phone. When Munna Qureshi uncle tried to stop them, they slapped him.”

The Wire reached out to the local police but they remained unavailable for a comment.

Vakil alleged that he was not served a notice by the DDA and that Manoj Tiwari, the BJP MP from Northeast Delhi, and other senior leaders of the BJP had promised him to save his home. “I didn’t seek any reward for what we did. I just wanted my home and even that has been taken away from me.”

Shabana suspects that Vakil was targeted for his Muslim identity.

“They didn’t target the adjoining homes.How should I see it? Racism?…Did they break Vakil’s home because he’s a Muslim? Had he been some Sanjay, Rakesh or Ram, the government would have readily given him a job, admission to his kids in a good school, they’d have built a new home for him, or maybe they’d have erected a statue in his name. However, they have even snatched the roof over my husband’s head.”

In its press release, the DDA has claimed that the adjoining house had a legal stay order.

In its press note, the DDA has clarified that at no point of time, before or during the demolition exercise, were the DDA officials aware about the recent contribution of Vakil Hassan in the rescue operation of the workers trapped in the Uttarakhand tunnel.

“Late in the evening, when this fact came to light, the DDA officials, after having made alternate arrangements for shelter to Vakil and his family, went on site and contacted him. However, Vakil refused to avail any relief measure so offered and demanded a permanent house either at the same location or at any location in the same vicinity,” the press release read.

A day after the demolition, Hassan sat near the remains of his razed house with his family in protest, The Hindu reported.

According to the newspaper, the DDA said that an anti-encroachment drive was conducted in the same area in 2016 when a house built illegally by Hassan was razed.

However, in 2017, the urban found that he had reconstructed the house in the same area. Multiple attempts were made to demolish the encroachment in 2018 and 2022, but each time Hassan’s family members prevented the demolition through the use of force, said the newspaper.

Hassan told the daily that he bought this land in 2012. “I had spent my entire savings and put in a lot of work to build this house. My children grew up here. This was our home. I don’t deserve this,” he said.

He demanded that the land be returned to him. “I had bought this land for Rs 33 lakh in 2012. I still have to pay Rs 12 lakh on the loan,” he added.

The DDA falls under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Hitting out at the central government, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi cabinet minister Atishi said, “I appreciate the help that L-G has offered to Mr. Hassan, but this was not the only house demolished by the DDA and other Central government agencies for Delhi. For the past few months, bulldozers have been run over many homes belonging to poor people.

Sandeshkhali: Shahjahan Sent to 10-Day Police Custody; Opposition Claims He’s Under ‘Govt Protection’

Shahjahan’s arrest followed an order from the Calcutta high court authorising his apprehension by various authorities, as well as a deadline issued by West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose.

Kolkata: After being on the run for 56 days, Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan was finally arrested on Wednesday night, February 28.

“This isn’t arrest. He (Sheikh Shahjahan) is under their (government) protection. He has been assured by the Mamata government that nothing will happen to you [him], you [he] will be allowed to use the phone,” claimed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari.

“The question remains whether he was actually arrested or merely shown to be arrested. We have been saying since the beginning that Shahjahan was surrounded by the police,” said CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty.

The South Bengal Additional Director General (ADG) of Police, Supratim Sarkar, confirmed that Shahjahan was apprehended in Bamanpur village near Minakhan police station. This action followed an order from the Calcutta high court authorising his arrest by various authorities and a deadline issued by West Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose. This development contradicts claims by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee that the judiciary hindered the arrest, which the court refuted.

Speaking to the media, the ADG said, “The question is being raised as to why the police did not arrest Sheikh Shahjahan until now. We were informed that on January 5, the ED, which raided Shahjahan’s house and filed a complaint against him at the Najat police station. A few days later, the ED sought a stay in this case. Why didn’t they arrest him? And the police and his operation came to a halt because of the stay order by the ED.”

Soon after the arrest, Shahjahan’s lawyer moved to the Calcutta high court requesting an urgent hearing for his anticipatory bail plea, which was turned down by the Chief Justice. The court also summoned Shahjahan’s lawyer to appear before it on March 4.

The court is expected to hear a suo motu motion on the alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing of tribal people at Sandeshkhali.

“Mr. Counsel, this man (Shahjahan) has some 43 cases against him. Mind you, now for the next 10 years this man will keep you busy. You will have to handle all his cases till the next 10 years at least,” the Chief Justice said.

Shahjahan was granted ten days of police custody and transferred to the CID headquarters in Kolkata. He has been charged under IPC sections 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (guilty of rioting while armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to any public servant), and 392 (robbery).

“The All India Trinamool Congress has decided to suspend Sheikh Shahjahan for six years,” said Derek O’Brien, challenging the BJP to take action against Brij Bhushan, who faces allegations of sexual harassment filed by several women wrestlers.

The TMC leadership, including the chief minister, had previously spoken in favour of Shahjahan, despite at least 43 first information reports (FIRs) being registered against him in the last four years. Records also indicate that while the TMC did suspend another strongman, Arabul Islam, in 2014 over his alleged involvement in two murder cases, he was reinstated by the party just before the 2016 Assembly Election.

“Mamata Banerjee defended Sheikh Shahjahan in the state assembly by saying that he was being targeted. Now Banerjee’s party TMC has suspended him. TMC at present is confused on what to do or not to do,” said state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar.

Shahjahan Sheikh’s close aide Aamir Ali Gazi has also been arrested from Jharkhand. The police had earlier arrested Sibu Hazra, Uttam Sardar and Ajit Maiti in connection with land grabbing and sexual harassment cases.

Following his arrest, locals were seen laughing and happily dousing each other in Holi colours. However, the anger against the local TMC leadership continues with women demanding the arrest of Shahjahan’s brother Sirajuddin.

A significant police deployment has been implemented to manage the unrest, with prohibitory Section 144 imposed across 48 locations in Sandeshkhali by the administration. Additionally, the police intervened to prevent the CPI(M) from conducting their scheduled public rally in the area. In response, the party organised a protest rally, attended by top leaders including the state secretary Md Salim.

“We were saying from the beginning that Shahjahan would be arrested on the day Didi wants. And that’s what happened. The way a criminal was brought to the police court is a shame!” said former MLA Nirapada Sardar, who returned after his release from police custody following high court intervention.

Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya.

Ex-Tamil Nadu FM Disputes PM Modi’s Remarks on State’s Growth, CM Says Modi Afraid

‘Why slow Tamil Nadu’s growth by more than 1% every year to come down to the Indian average?,’ says former state finance minister, responding to PM Modi’s remarks that Tamil Nadu ‘must develop at a pace similar to India’s development’.

New Delhi: Lauding the third quarter GDP numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (February 29) compared Tamil Nadu’s growth with the country, saying the state “must develop at a pace similar to India’s development”.

In a post on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s official X account, Modi said, “It is my resolution that Tamil Nadu must develop at a pace similar to India’s development. Over the past 10 years … If AIIMS were inaugurated in India, we made sure that Madurai, too, got its AIIMS. If the poor have been guaranteed treatment for Rs. 5 Lakh in India, you must know that over 50 lakh beneficiaries are from Tamil Nadu.”

“We are working for the development of Tamil Nadu even when the state govt is not cooperating with the Central govt. You must be cautious of such people and parties who hinder the progress of Tamil Nadu,” he added.

Responding to the prime minister’s comments, P. Thiaga Rajan, who is also known as PTR and was finance minister in M.K. Stalin’s government till last year, said that Tamil Nadu has experienced higher economic growth than the Indian average over a ten-year period.

“Tamil Nadu had 5.54% real NSDP [net state domestic product] growth per capita CAGR [compound annual growth rate], compared to 4.43% real GDP growth per capita CAGR for India (RBI’s statistics). This is CAGR for the 10-year period ending March 31, 2023 as the 2024 fiscal year still has one month left,” PTR said on X.

“As a consequence, we went up from at least 1.3 times to at least 1.44 times the Indian average per capita GDP (2011-2012 Rupee Base). (Note the state data is NET, while the National is GROSS),” he added.

“Why would anyone WANT to slow TN’s growth by more than 1% every year, to come down to the Indian average? In reality, the gap will likely widen further under the leadership of Hon CM @mkstalin, rather than come down to the Indian average.”

“The rest of the reported statement, if accurate, has worse deviations from the facts, and indeed the truth (e.g. AIIMS Madurai’s construction is yet to start; the TN Governor does not even sign Legislation from the Assembly – an illogical way of working for the development of TN).”

“The great luxury of advanced levels of education, and widespread rational thinking – both clear outcomes of the Dravidian Ideology in Government for decades – is that the vast majority of Tamil people recognize reality, and experience progress, in their daily lives. So they cannot be duped into believing gross falsehoods.”

“Ultimately, the people get the Government they elect, and then experience the differing outcomes they chose at the booth…”

M.K. Stalin, the state’s chief minister, hit back at Modi’s statement that the state government did not cooperate with the Union government, saying he was “making superficial and generalised allegations”.

“Did we block the opening of AIIMS in Madurai? Did we stand in the way of metro rail projects? Let him tell us for which central projects we did not allocate land,” Stalin was quoted as saying in a letter to his party cadre by the New Indian Express.

The Hindu quoted him as saying that “Modi, who did not give the state government the funds it was entitled to, prevented it from taking loans and even failed to provide flood relief, cannot find fault with the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]”.

“The prime minister’s speech, in which he claimed that the DMK would be crushed and destroyed, has brought disrepute to the post he holds,” Stalin also said, adding that he wouldn’t wish for the BJP not to live on and that it “had the right to remain in the democratic setup as a political party”.

He added that Modi was visiting the state frequently and that “the fear of defeat is visible on his face”.

As Attack on Relief Site Takes 104 Lives, US Admits Israel Has Killed ‘Over 25,000’ Women, Children in Gaza

A witness told AP that he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. However, Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd.

New Delhi: On a day in which at least 104 Palestinians waiting for food aid were killed and 760 wounded after being shot at by Israeli forces in Gaza, according to an Al Jazeera report, US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin told Congress that the United States government placed the death toll of women and children in the ongoing Israeli attack at more than 25,000.

During a congressional hearing, reports Reuters, “Austin was asked how many Palestinian women and children had been killed by Israel”. His reply: “It is over 25,000.”

The Associated Press spoke to a witness of Thursday’s incident. His name is Kamel Abu Nahel. He was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa hospital.

He told AP that he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. “We’ve been eating animal feed for two months,” he told AP.

He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under nearby cars. After the shooting stopped, they went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said.

According to AP, these were the first major aid deliveries in a month to Gaza.

For weeks, Israel has delayed the entry of aid into Gaza, while Israeli protesters have participated in demonstrations demanding a halt to aid shipments to the territory, despite the worsening conditions of hunger and disease.

‘Dozens or hundreds’ lying on the ground

Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan hospital, told AP that the medics found “dozens or hundreds” lying on the ground. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts.

An Israeli government spokesperson referred to the Palestinian casualties during aid distribution near Gaza City as a “tragedy.” He claimed that the deaths were caused by delivery drivers ploughing into a crowd.

“At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,” Al Jazeera reported the spokesperson, Avi Hyman, as saying.

“It’s obviously a tragedy but we’re not sure of the specifics quite yet.”

Eating animal feed

A few days ago, several citizens told Al Jazeera that they have been eating only once every two days and consuming food intended for animals, such as bird and donkey feed, out of desperation. On February 27, a toddler died after eating bread made from animal feed, which poisoned him.

The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that half a million people in Gaza face starvation and all 2.3 million experience acute food shortage.

‘Our blood is very cheap’

“Unfortunately, our blood is very cheap,” Yusri al-Ghoul, a displaced Palestinian novelist, lecturer and doctor, told Al Jazeera.

He said that he was in the area during the attack by Israeli forces on Palestinians trying to get aid in Gaza.

“Every day we go to that place which is close to the Israeli tanks because we are starving; we don’t find food, even the food of animals for about two months, and our children are starving,” he told Al Jazeera.

“What happened today [in the] morning … I went to that area like thousands of Palestinians to get the aid, but unfortunately we come back with martyrs, with innocents who were killed by the Israeli tanks and snipers,” al-Ghoul said. “They sniped in front of me tens of Palestinians … they targeted their heads, elbows and knees.”

 

 

‘You Don’t Look Autistic’: Why Neurodivergent Women Have Been Sidelined

Overlooking autistic and ADHD women has been the norm for generations. Gender bias in this field is a public health concern.

I walked into the gym and froze. The kettlebells had been moved. Their colours were in a new order. The cardio equipment had been relocated. Nothing seemed how it was.

I felt uneasy and exclaimed to my personal trainer: “Everything’s wrong! They’re meant to be by the window!”

This wasn’t the first time I had experienced a visceral reaction to changes in my environment. I once became particularly distressed at the sofa being changed in my counsellor’s room.

I used to torture myself over why I was like this. Why did I get so upset about things that didn’t seem to bother others?

I was intelligent and a high achiever despite leaving my work until the last minute and operating on a constant rollercoaster of high productive peaks and deeply depressed troughs.

Yet the many decisions, steps and multi-tasking involved in cooking a meal could send me over the edge. It didn’t make sense. I was constantly exhausted. People exhausted me. Life exhausted me.

I now know I am dyspraxic, autistic and ADHD. The depression, anxiety and panic attacks I struggled with for years were likely burnout and sensory overload.

Sex bias leads to late diagnosis – and misdiagnosis

Neurodivergent women and girls have been overlooked by the medical profession for decades.

Traditionally, ADHD and autism have been perceived as male conditions, contributing to a two– to fourfold higher likelihood of diagnosis in males compared to females.

The diagnostic criteria for ADHD and autism exhibit a male bias – partly because researchers historically recruited only boys and men to scientific studies. This has led to clinicians failing to identify women’s presentations of these conditions.

Also read | ‘Are You Sure It’s Not Anxiety?’: How Gaslighting Doctors Make it Harder For Women With Long COVID

Clinicians, accustomed to recognising autistic features in boys, may also overlook or misdiagnose autism in girls.

That’s if they are referred at all. Research shows girls are less likely to be referred for diagnosis despite exhibiting characteristics of both conditions. The chances of recognition are even slimmer if you aren’t white or middle-class.

Women also often display less overt inattentive symptoms of ADHD; these differ from the externalised hyperactivity symptoms predominantly observed in males, resulting in underdiagnosis of ADHD in girls.

Reading Sarah Hendrickx’s Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder was a lightbulb moment. She was describing me, my childhood, my unique weirdness.

I couldn’t cope with uncertainty and change, however small. The wrong texture of clothes could drive me to losing my temper. I was an extremely bland and fussy eater. I couldn’t stand when things were ‘wrong’ or unjust. I would get fixated on what others could easily let go of.

I spent my whole life trying to figure out what others meant when they spoke, because they never said what they meant. I would become obsessed with topics and immerse myself, shutting everything else out.

Animals were my biggest allies. I couldn’t master gears in a car, I was clumsy; I had overwhelming emotional outbursts that I should have grown out of decades ago; I was always late, I lost everything. If I can’t see something, it no longer exists – I have multiple copies of things, having forgotten I’d already bought them.

I feel like I have multiple monkeys in my brain that all need to be kept busy at the same time in order for me to wrestle control over my mind and body. The racing thoughts never stop.

When I discovered I was autistic, I suddenly realised: It wasn’t just me. There wasn’t something deeply wrong with me. I wasn’t failing at life and unable to cope with the same mundane tasks others breezed through. I experience the world in a different way.

But this wasn’t the whole story. I didn’t fit neatly into the ‘autistic’ box. Learning about ADHD explained why – I was AuDHD.

Also read: Could Long COVID ‘Brain Fog’ Be an Acquired Form of ADHD?

Harmful impacts on the ‘lost generations’ of AuDHD women

My story is not unique.

My research about late-diagnosed women’s experiences of autism and ADHD shines a light on the rollercoaster lives, misdiagnoses, mental health difficulties and negative self-perceptions of AuDHD women who lived a life undiagnosed.

Girls with ADHD and late-diagnosed autistic females often engage in effective “masking” behaviours (that is, the emulation of neurotypical behaviours) because there is more pressure on girls to conform, to behave, to silence their struggles.

Masking can make these conditions less visible and less likely to be diagnosed. Masking is protective but it can also be harmful, causing neurodivergent individuals to feel “disconnected” from their true sense of identity, and being linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

Up against these systemic challenges, women are left to figure out the puzzle of their lives, and themselves, before even embarking on a battle to attain a diagnosis. It means they often miss out on the benefits afforded by early diagnosis.

Yet even a diagnosis is not an automatic ticket to recognition.

Media portrayal of autistic characters, typically played by men, hampers the public’s ability to envision autistic women (hence the all-too-common refrain “you don’t look autistic”).

The surging popularity of ADHD on social media sites such as TikTok has resulted in scoffs that “everybody has ADHD nowadays”.

It is impossible to adequately depict the multitude of challenges that autism and ADHD bring to everyday life and interactions. It is not ‘just’ being a little forgetful, ‘overly’ sensitive, lacking motivation, easily overwhelmed and emotionally dysregulated. It is also not all negative.

Adding a combined diagnosis of autism and ADHD into this mix complicates things further. The conditions can mask each other. They are often experienced paradoxically, leading to further distress, as I have written elsewhere. Because of these contradictions in the diagnostic criteria, a combined diagnosis was not even possible before 2013.

Changing tides

Change is underway as an increasing number of women gain awareness of these conditions, actively pursue diagnosis, and receive one.

In the US, the ratio of boys to girls diagnosed with autism was 3.8 to 1 in 2023 – a shift from 4.7 to 1 in 2012. In the UK, 23% of new diagnoses of autism were female in 2018, up from 18% in 1998.

Some researchers and advocates, including me, have also called for further efforts to de-medicalise autism and to promote the social model of disability – for example, by raising awareness of autistic and ADHD strengths and not focus solely on impairments or deficits.

To some extent, the emergence of high-profile neurodivergent women such as Grace Tame and Emma Watson may have also challenged old stigmas and increased awareness of how autism and ADHD might show up in women.

Despite these positive trends, women face substantial obstacles in accessing care and support.

Waiting periods can extend to years, pre-and post-diagnosis support is often insufficient and diagnostic criteria remain sex-biased. Women still face lifetimes marked by misdiagnoses, compromised mental health and internalisation of negative perceptions about their character – all without adequate assistance.

The delayed diagnoses of autism and ADHD in women is a critical public health concern.

The repercussions of being undiagnosed are severe, leading to a lifetime of traumatic experiences, bullying, and feelings of not fitting in.

Neurodivergent women are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence and sexual assault, with research indicating higher odds of such incidents for ADHD and autistic women. Earlier identification of neurodivergent conditions could help to mitigate these risks.

There is a need for funded holistic, women-centred and trauma-informed neurodiversity assessments and pre- and post-diagnosis support.

While resource constraints are often cited as the reason for slow progress in this space, advocates have correctly pointed out that the costs of delayed intervention, multiple waiting lists, assessment processes, mental health treatments, economic impacts of unemployment and the human toll of suffering are much higher.

We urgently need to stop neglecting, silencing, and causing harm to neurodivergent women and girls.

Emma Craddock is a Senior Lecturer in Health Research in the Faculty of Health, Education, and Life Sciences at Birmingham City University. She completed her ESRC-funded PhD in Sociology at the University of Nottingham in 2017 with a thesis focused on gender and local anti-austerity activist cultures.

Emma’s monograph Living Against Austerity: A Feminist Investigation of Doing Activism and Being Activist was published in 2020. Emma continues to develop feminist research in the area of women’s health, and is currently researching women’s experiences of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD in adulthood.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info.

GDP Surges by 8.4% in Q3 of FY24 but GVA Remains at 6.5%; Experts Say Gap Due to Strong Tax Quarter

GDP data indicated that investment growth continues to outpace consumption growth by a huge margin, Reuters reported quoting experts.

New Delhi: The Indian economy grew by 8.4% during the October-December quarter of FY24, according to data released by the Statistics Ministry on Thursday, February 29.

This is higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s estimate of 6.5%, according to National Statistical Office (NSO) of Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).

During the third quarter of FY23, GDP was recorded at 4.4%.

The entire fiscal year’s (FY24) GDP growth has been estimated at 7.6% as compared to growth rate of 7% in FY23.

“Double-digit growth rate of construction sector (10.7%), followed by a good growth rate of manufacturing sector (8.5%) have boosted the GDP growth in FY 2023-24,” Business Standard reported.

However, according to economists, there are chances of some deceleration in the numbers, Livemint reported. They are predicting a slowdown from the sharp 7.6% growth recorded in the September quarter of the current fiscal year.

A look at GVA growth

According to an analysis by business journalist Latha Venkatesh, the relation between the GDP and GVA (gross value added) seems to be confusing. This divergence, per experts, is due to the strong tax growth in the quarter.

GVA growth was closer to expectations at 6.5%, Reuters reported.

The GVA for FY24 is anticipated to be 6.9%, up from 6.7% in the previous year.

GVA growth is important when analysing GDP data because it provides a more detailed view of economic performance. GDP measures the total value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders, while GVA specifically focuses on the value added by each sector of the economy.

“Something odd about the current year GDP number: Q3 GDP is up 8.4% yoy, but GVA is up only 6.5%; year ago I.e. FY23 Q3 GDP is up 4.3%, but GVA IS UP 4.8%. Relation between GVA & GDP is confusing,” said Venkatesh.

“The Q3 GDP number at 8.4% is way above street estimates of 6.7%, but GVA at 6.5% is entirely in line with street estimate. GDP is GVA plus taxes minus subsidies, probably the 15% higher tax collection this year is creating the divergence,” she said.

Reuters reported that GDP data indicated that investment growth continues to outpace consumption growth by a huge margin.

The internals signal that agriculture growth remains weak, while manufacturing and services continue to push up growth, Sakshi Gupta, Principal Economist, HDFC Bank, Gurugram, told Reuters.

“The Q3 data on India’s growth threw up a divergent trend, with the GVA growth moderating broadly on expected lines to 6.5% and the GDP expanding by a much higher-than-anticipated 8.4%,” Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA Ltd, Gurugram, told Reuters.

“This wide gap followed a surge in the growth of net indirect taxes to a six-quarter high of 32% in this quarter, which is unlikely to be sustainable. In our view, it may be more appropriate to look at the trend in the GVA growth to understand the underlying momentum of economic activity.”

“Investments emerged as the fastest growing component of GDP in Q3 FY2024 and displayed a mild sequential dip, contrary to the sharp slowdown seen in government capex. Amid the sharp upside surprise in the headline GDP growth number, the contraction in the government’s revenue expenditure and capital expenditure, as well as the slide in the core sector growth in January 2024, offer some sobering trends,” she said.

“The sharp upward revision to the GDP comes on the backdrop of downward revision to FY23 figures and stronger investment and net exports in FY24, but lagging consumption,” Upasna Bhardwaj, Chief Economist Kotak Mahindra Bank, Mumbai, told Reuters.

“More intriguing is that gross value-added estimates for FY24 have been left unchanged, while GDP is sharply higher.”

Watch | ‘I Was Treated Like a Criminal; I’m Not Anti-Indian’: Nitasha Kaul on Her Deportation to UK

On February 23, the British writer was denied permission to enter the country even though she is an Overseas Citizen of India.

In her first interview to talk about her deportation from India last week, British poet and writer Nitasha Kaul said, “I was treated like a criminal,” adding it was “unjust and unfair” and “a harrowing experience” for her.

When she arrived at Kempegowda airport in Bengaluru on February 23, she was denied permission to enter the country even though she is an Overseas Citizen of India and has the right to come to India as often as she wants. She was given no explanation by the authorities other than that they were acting on the orders of the government in Delhi. Instead she was held in detention, in a small room, for almost 24 hours before being sent back to the UK.

In a 35-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Kaul, who is a professor of Politics International Relations and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Westminster in the UK, explained that she was born, brought up and studied in India. She said: “I consider myself Indian, I care very much for India”.

Kaul was born in Gorakhpur, attended school in India, and went to college at SRCC.

She has a very close family in India, including an elderly mother who lives in the country. Equally importantly, she said she had last visited India at the start of February, just three weeks before her visit on February 23, which ended with her deportation.

Although explanations, presumably given by the government, for her deportation have been carried both by the Times of India and NDTV, Kaul clarified that neither the newspaper nor the television channel had contacted her to obtain her account and side of the story.

In the interview, she comprehensively responded to everything reported by the Times of India and NDTV as explanations given by the government for her deportation.

She said, “I have no animus for India,” something that NDTV reported, saying the government claims she has. She said she sees this as “a personal vendetta” and an attempt “to sever me from my family”.

 

Manipur Governor Data Raises Serious Questions Over the Mayhem the ‘Double-Engine’ Govt Has Unleashed

It is nearly ten months since violence was sparked off in a sensitive border state of Manipur. How does the continuing state of disturbance there compare with J&K? What about what was left unsaid?

New Delhi: Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey’s speech on February 28 put out official data on the damage and destruction in Manipur since ethnic strife broke out on May 3, 2023.

Uikey presented the figures as a sign of ‘good governance’ by the ‘double-engine sarkar’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Official data

  • The governor said that 219 persons have so far lost lives in the state due to the violence.
  • At least 187,143 persons have been rounded up so far under preventive detention. They were released after legal formalities were carried out.
  • At least 10,000 FIRs till date have been lodged in connection with the ongoing violence.
  • The N. Biren Singh government has so far handed over 29 cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Four other FIRs are in the process of being transferred to the central agency.
  • Five other FIRs have been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
  • An ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh is being disbursed to the affected families, “after due verification and mortal remains of victims have been handed over to the next of kins and last rites performed,” wrote Imphal Free Press.
  • “To cater to clothing and other needs of the displaced persons, till date, she asserted that an amount of Rs 1,000 had been distributed twice to every displaced individual and the third time distribution has also begun,” the news report said.
  • Till date, the state government has spent Rs 200 crore on relief operations and is hoping that the Ministry of Home Affairs would reimburse the amount to the cash-starved state.
  • The governor also said that aside from the state security forces, 198 companies of the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) and 140 columns of the Army have been deployed in Manipur to assist “in area domination, sanitisation and maintenance of law and order situation.”

Manipur versus Kashmir

To comprehend better what these figures cited by the governor say about the law and order situation in Manipur, let’s look at similar figures drawn from some other states which are considered disturbed, or, have seen disturbance of considerable gamut in the recent past. Better still, let’s look at some corresponding official figures from Kashmir which is oft-considered the benchmark of internal disturbance in the country.

First, the figures on civilian deaths in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir. In less than a year’s time, while Manipur had seen 219 deaths (almost all, civilian deaths), Jammu and Kashmir — between January and November 15, 2023 — saw 13 civilian killings. The data on Kashmir was supplied to Parliament by the minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai in December 2023.

Just to set the record straight here, in the 2020 Delhi violence, 53 lives were lost.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), prior to the reading down of Article 370 in Kashmir, 126 civilian deaths were counted in three years cumulatively. After August 5, 2019, that number dropped to 116.

The official figure of arrests since May 3, 2023 stands at 1,87,143 persons. That the violence seen during the Delhi riots led to 2,174 arrests gives us a clue, not just about the scale of the violence in Manipur but also the duration of the time it lasted.

As per the governor’s speech, a whopping 10,000 FIRs related to the ethnic violence were lodged in Manipur in the last nine months. The Delhi riots with a total of 785 FIRs clearly pale in comparison.

Also, FIRs are only about filing of FIRs by the police, not delivery of justice to the victims.

Glass half full or half empty?

Add to this colossal figure of FIRs in Manipur the governor’s data that 33 cases in all (after adding the four FIRs in process) are to be probed by the CBI, and five others by the NIA. It makes a total of 38 cases – all linked to arms-related violence – transferred by the state government in less than a year’s time, a record of sorts.

Had the governor acted only as the constitutional authority as the governors are supposed to, analysts ask if the Raj Bhawan at Imphal would have likely recommended Manipur as ‘a fit case’ for implementing Article 356 to the President of India, or dismissing the state government.

These sets of data can be seen through two prisms.

One, that lodging such a large number of FIRs on the ongoing strife, and transfer of such a record-breaking number of cases to the central agencies, only indicate that the state machinery is ticking.

Two, that the state machinery was first of all not functioning sufficiently enough for such a spike in cases, and civilian deaths. Mind you, Manipur is a state where the MHA had partially lifted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA to hammer on the point that peace has come to the state under the Modi regime. The latest official data certainly counters the illusion of having restored ‘normalcy’ in the beleaguered state.

On February 28, the Manipur governor chose to see the official data only from the first prism.

Unfortunately though, with hundreds of innocents dead, and thousands having lost their property and livelihood, with violence and public unrest continuing, it is no more a situation where one has the choice to look at the glass half full or half empty, particularly if one is a constitutional authority. Only time will judge her action, and that of the Centre in the still unfolding Manipur story.

About the transfer of cases to the central agencies, it is also worth noting here what the Supreme Court had said in January 2024. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while hearing a plea on January 3 to transfer the investigation into Hindenburg Research’s allegations against the Adani group from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to the CBI, had stated that such a power should be exercised sparingly and in extraordinary situations.

It is then an extraordinary situation in Manipur as such a fat bundle of cases have been transferred to the CBI in such a short time.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court, in August, had also allowed the CBI to transfer a bulk of the cases related to the ethnic strife from Manipur to Assam so that the poor law and order situation doesn’t come in its way to carry out the pre-trial investigations. That permission was due to a prayer to the apex court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Manipur government, saying that there were “certain concerns” about judges in the state belonging to specific communities. It indicates a situation where public trust even in the judiciary is at a sub-zero level.

“Mehta also highlighted security risks in bringing the witnesses and accused to the courts in Manipur,” reported India Today.

Here is another data set to help fathom the precarious situation in Manipur. While in J&K, only three cases were registered by the NIA during 2023, in just last nine months, five cases have been transferred to the agency by the Manipur government.

Also read: Arambai’s Political Sway Is Not Only in Imphal but Far Beyond It. Yet the State Turns a Blind Eye

When we observe that the Union government, despite claiming an improved situation in J&K through data, has refrained from announcing elections there, the Manipur story which has poorer data than Kashmir on some counts, becomes more conspicuous. It begs the question, why no President’s Rule in Manipur then? But we are not going there anyway.

What the governor didn’t say

On February 28, while governor Uikey was delivering her speech at the House, additional superintendent of police for the Imphal West district, Moirangthem Amit Singh, was barely recovering from an attack launched on him and his family by a pack of 200 armed men. The state police had to launch a special operation to free Singh from the clutches of those non-state actors under the banner of a radical outfit, Arambai Tenggol. Singh’s house was also set on fire. The attack was because Singh dared to arrest some of the Arambai Tenggol men.

What went unmentioned by the governor in her speech was also that a number of attacks and kidnappings of student leaders, journalists and others had been carried out by armed non-state actors from the capital city itself in the run-up to the assembly session. Offices of several Meitei civil society groups were also burned down. No one has been identified for those acts of arson and kidnappings. The kidnapping of a senior police officer from the capital city itself sends out a message to the public that not police but an armed radical group with a strength of 50,000 men is more powerful in Imphal valley.

Add to it the burning down last week of the Churachandpur deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police’s offices (also the DC’s residence) by an angry mob from the Kuki community for action taken against a Kuki police personnel by the state administration. This happened after a video clip of him hobnobbing with armed non-state actors went viral. These incidents give a clearer picture of the dreary Manipur story.

What is perhaps not noted even in Kashmir recently is also a day like this: barely hours after the governor’s speech, Manipur Police commando personnel across five districts laid down their arms as part of a strike against ASP Singh’s kidnapping by Aramabi Tenggol.

In January, the Meitei nationalist outfit had commanded all the 37 Meitei MLAs and two MPs to reach the Kangla Fort in Imphal to take an oath to maintain Manipur’s territorial integrity. Their leaders also physically assaulted two of the MLAs. The Fort was the seat of the Manipur kings till 1891.

Significantly, the chief of the outfit came to the Fort that day in a police vehicle. How did he access a police vehicle? Does it indicate that the outfit enjoys the backing of the chief minister who is also the state home minister?

An MP who took part in that act of a ‘parallel state’ set up by Arambai Tenggol from within the Kangla Fort (a news report showed that it also guards the fort) was Raj Kumar Ranjan Singh, minister of state for external affairs in the Modi government.

The other MP, L. Sanajouba, who is the titular head of Manipur and resides within the Kangla Fort premises, was sent to the Rajya Sabha in 2020 with BJP’s support. Sanajouba is the founding leader of Arambai Tenggol. In January, a Ministry of Home Affairs team had two meetings with the radical outfit at Sanajaouba’s residence, underlining the close links the MP has with the armed outfit engaged in kidnapping and assault of a senior police official.

In effect, missing parts from the governor’s speech at the assembly Wednesday say as much a story as the data she gave out.

J&K: Kulgam Man Denies Mehbooba Mufti’s Allegations That Army Tortured Him

The row broke out after Mufti on Wednesday posted a photo of the victim who she claimed was “beaten up” by the Army. However, hours after her tweet, the man denied these allegations in a video whose authenticity The Wire couldn’t verify.

New Delhi: A person at the centre of a raging row in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, February 29, has sought to deny the claim of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti that he was tortured in Army custody.

The row broke out after Mufti on Wednesday (February 28) posted on X (formerly called Twitter) a photo of the victim who she claimed was “beaten up” by the Army “because his brother happened to be a militant killed decades ago.”

The victim was identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai, a resident of Niginpora village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The photo showed the left side of Ganai’s face having visible bruises and inflammation around the lower eyelid.

Without disclosing the identity of their company or battalion, Mufti alleged that the Army soldiers from the Kanchlu area of Kulgam were responsible for torturing Ganai. In her post on X, Mehbooba urged the Chinar Corps Commander to take action against the alleged culprits in uniform.

An official at the Government Medical College in Anantnag said that a victim by the name of Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai from Niginpora was brought to the hospital on Wednesday with some “superficial” injuries. “The wound on his arm was dressed and he was later discharged,” the official said, on conditions of anonymity.

However, hours after Mufti’s tweet, a video was posted on X in which Ganai sought to rebut the allegations of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president.

“Today on February 28, I came to the (Army) camp. The Army has called me for questioning,” Ganai, who is wearing a red hoodie, can be seen speaking monotonously to the camera, pausing briefly when a male voice in the background uttered ‘badtameez’ (mannerless).

“They offered me tea and food there. I have now returned home in good health,” Ganai added in the video which has been shot against the backdrop of a shimmering blue curtain.

The Wire couldn’t immediately verify the authenticity of the video which appears to have been filmed in the presence of at least three more persons, possibly Army soldiers. It is not clear whether the video was shot at Ganai’s residence, the Army camp in Kanchlu area of Kulgam at which the PDP chief pointed accusatory fingers, or somewhere else.

Last year, Mufti had alleged that the Army’s 9 Rashtriya Rifles unit in Kanchlu Kund area of Kulgam was allegedly harassing the locals by “summoning young men” and “forcing them to do labour work for free”. The Army had, however, denied the charges.

Also read: The Caravan’s Article on Army Torture the Union Government Wants Taken Down

The Wire reached out to a senior Army officer in Srinagar who denied the PDP chief’s charges. “I can’t comment on what she has said. I am not aware of any such incident. Let her do her politics,” he said, while acknowledging that Ganai was questioned by the Army without specifying the nature of the case.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kulgam, Sahil Warangal, said that he was busy in a meeting, “I will get back to you,” he said. This story will be updated as and when his response is received.

The incident comes against the backdrop of the torture in Army custody and subsequent deaths of three civilians in Poonch district of Pir Panjal region on December 22 last year, allegedly as a retribution by the soldiers for the ambush attack by unidentified militants on one of its units in which four soldiers were killed.

Kulgam district sits in the lap of the Pir Panjal mountain range in Kashmir division, which has witnessed a spike in militant attacks on security forces in recent years. On August 4 last year, three Army soldiers were killed while at least three more suffered injuries in a major attack in the Halan area of Kulgam.

A commanding officer of the Army among at least two dozen Army soldiers and police personnel have been killed along the Pir Panjal mountain region in ambush attacks by a group of highly trained militants who are affiliated with Peoples Anti-Fascist Forces (PAFF), an off-shoot of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit.

The PAFF shot into prominence following the reading down of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 when its members started staging some of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The group has also released video clips of some of the attacks on social media platforms.

In the hunt for the perpetrators of the attacks, the Army has launched massive search operations in Pir Panjal region and its adjoining areas but with little success. One such operation culminated in the detention and torture of at least dozen civilians from Poonch in December last year, three of whom later passed away.