News Analysis India

Tag: discrimination

  • Congress leader Rahul Gandhi writes to Prez Droupadi Murmu on Agnipath scheme, urges her to intervene

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu against the Agnipath scheme, alleging there is “discrimination” in the nature and extent of benefits given to the families of slain soldiers. Urging the president to intervene, Gandhi said an “exception is warranted in this case” as she is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of India and the issue affects national security. In his two-page letter to the President of India, Gandhi said he is writing to her with an appeal to provide ‘nyya’ (justice) to Agniveers, who lay down their lives in service to the nation. “There can be no clearer illustration of the fundamental flaw in the Agnipath scheme – the creation of a ‘lesser’ cadre of soldiers who are expected to work on similar tasks with lower pay, benefits and prospects,” he said while sharing his letter to President Murmu on the scheme. “The discrimination in the nature and extent of benefits accorded to the families of our slain Agniveers, compared to regular soldiers warrants your urgent attention,” Gandhi said in his letter. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States “This anyaay – injustice – is why the Congress Party and our INDIA allies have strongly opposed the Agnipath scheme, and have promised to repeal it if we form the government,” the former Congress chief said. In the letter, Gandhi said, “I request you to intervene. I recognise that a President does not generally interfere in matters of policy, which are the domain of the elected government. “However, I believe an exception is warranted in this case, given both the seriousness of this issue, and your unique position. You are the Supreme Commander of India’s Armed Forces. You have taken an oath to devote yourself to the well-being of the people of India.” “Is this discrimination against our Agniveer martyrs not a risk to our national security? Is it not a grave injustice to our youth who bravely risk their lives to serve?” Gandhi asked in his letter.

    “These pressing questions can only be answered in the affirmative.

    “Therefore, I appeal to you to use your distinguished office to do nyaay – justice to Agniveer soldiers who lay down their lives, by ensuring that they receive the same benefits as any soldier who makes the highest sacrifice for our motherland,” he said.

  • Non-binary people face bias from doctors, says study

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Non-binary people who don’t identify themselves with any gender face more social stigma, biases and less access to sexual and reproductive health from doctors and other frontline workers as they don’t understand their unique health concerns, according to a latest pulse-check survey conducted by Dasra, a philanthropic organisation, UNICEF and other NGO partners.

    However, it is not just the non-binary who face social stigma and discrimination. The survey found that women, especially unmarried women in the age group of 18-29 years, said they find it difficult to access contraception or approach healthcare and frontline workers like ASHAs and Aganwadi workers as they are at times not understanding, biased and don’t keep their information confidential. Single men, however, don’t face this uncomfortable situation.

    “Young people were not comfortable identifying themselves as non-binary. They said the biggest barrier was the high cost in finding healthcare providers, gynaecologists etc., who are respectful and can provide care to young people, specifically who don’t identify in the gender binary,” said Aditi Agrawal, Project Lead, Youth Ke Bol (YKB), a pan-India, diverse and representative one million-strong youth-led coalition. Dasra formed the YKB in partnership with UNICEF YuWaah, and other NGOs like Restless Development and Yuvaa.  

    The survey, compiled into a report Youth Speak, was conducted in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in six states, including Tamil Nadu, on young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health and potential solutions to ensure improved access to contraception.  

    The study said over 95 per cent of the respondents wished that all young people in India could confidently walk up to a store and buy reproductive health products, including contraceptives. Agrawal said non-binary shared that they are asked questions by healthcare workers like ‘why they need contraception’. 

    “They said there is a lot of discrimination based on their identity. They face stigma as they don’t fit into either male or female. Their appearance and dress etc., have led to a lot of stigmas. They have also shared that they experienced violence because of their gender identity,” Agrawal told this newspaper. “All young people, irrespective of their sexual identity, who were unmarried and accessing contraception, especially women, found themselves facing stigma,” he said. 

    Unmarried people face discriminationUnmarried women in the age group of 18-29 years said they find it difficult to access contraception or approach healthcare and frontline workers like ASHAs and Aganwadi workers as they are at times not understanding, biased and don’t keep their information confidential.

    NEW DELHI: Non-binary people who don’t identify themselves with any gender face more social stigma, biases and less access to sexual and reproductive health from doctors and other frontline workers as they don’t understand their unique health concerns, according to a latest pulse-check survey conducted by Dasra, a philanthropic organisation, UNICEF and other NGO partners.

    However, it is not just the non-binary who face social stigma and discrimination. The survey found that women, especially unmarried women in the age group of 18-29 years, said they find it difficult to access contraception or approach healthcare and frontline workers like ASHAs and Aganwadi workers as they are at times not understanding, biased and don’t keep their information confidential. Single men, however, don’t face this uncomfortable situation.

    “Young people were not comfortable identifying themselves as non-binary. They said the biggest barrier was the high cost in finding healthcare providers, gynaecologists etc., who are respectful and can provide care to young people, specifically who don’t identify in the gender binary,” said Aditi Agrawal, Project Lead, Youth Ke Bol (YKB), a pan-India, diverse and representative one million-strong youth-led coalition. Dasra formed the YKB in partnership with UNICEF YuWaah, and other NGOs like Restless Development and Yuvaa.  

    The survey, compiled into a report Youth Speak, was conducted in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in six states, including Tamil Nadu, on young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health and potential solutions to ensure improved access to contraception.  

    The study said over 95 per cent of the respondents wished that all young people in India could confidently walk up to a store and buy reproductive health products, including contraceptives. Agrawal said non-binary shared that they are asked questions by healthcare workers like ‘why they need contraception’. 

    “They said there is a lot of discrimination based on their identity. They face stigma as they don’t fit into either male or female. Their appearance and dress etc., have led to a lot of stigmas. They have also shared that they experienced violence because of their gender identity,” Agrawal told this newspaper. “All young people, irrespective of their sexual identity, who were unmarried and accessing contraception, especially women, found themselves facing stigma,” he said. 

    Unmarried people face discrimination
    Unmarried women in the age group of 18-29 years said they find it difficult to access contraception or approach healthcare and frontline workers like ASHAs and Aganwadi workers as they are at times not understanding, biased and don’t keep their information confidential.

  • Discrimination in petrol pump allotment: 26/11 victim’s widow

    Mumbai: Sunanda Shinde was 36 when her husband, a ward boy at a south Mumbai hospital was killed by terrorists, who also slayed 165 others during the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

    Ten years on, she feels the Government discriminated while deciding on compensation for the 26/11 martyrs. Sunanda’s husband Bhagan Shinde worked at the Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital. That fateful night, on hearing gun shots, he had gone to a nearby phone booth to call his wife and kids when he was shot from behind at the hospital gate. “The Govt should not have discriminated while giving compensation to the families of martyrs,” says Sunanda, who now works as an ‘ayah’ (maid) in the same hospital. “Kin of martyrs from police got petrol pumps besides the compensation amount, a house and jobs. But the Govt did not allot petrol pumps to martyrs who were from Government hospitals,” she said.