112 : THE NEW EMERGENCY NUMBER OF INDIA.

It's a great news for the Indians as 112 is being made the new “SOS” number throughout the country. Next time a burglar breaks in, or the house is on fire, or a road accident besieges the neighborhood, just dial 112 — the proposed Indian equivalent of the American 911 and the UK 999 all-emergency number. There is no more the need to memorize the various different numbers of the myriad departments which would specifically cater to our problems during a case of emergency!

To have a single number for emergency situations has been in work for a long time now and would require the active participation and enabling provisions from states to make it a success. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended the implementation of the toll-free number as a single point of contact for assistance in a major emergency. Unlike the earlier estimated time of one year, the new number will be rolled out within  a few months.

Credits :- IBN live

In India, different emergency communication and response systems are in place — police (100), fire brigade (101), ambulance (102) and Emergency Disaster Management (108). Also, a number of states have notified various helpline numbers for assistance to special categories of citizens, like Woman in distress – 181 (Delhi), Missing Children and Women – 1094 (Delhi), Crime against Women – 1096 (Delhi), Police Headquarter helpline – 1090 (Uttar Pradesh) etc.

The new helpline should be an integration of all the existing emergency numbers in India such as 100, 101, 102 and 108, says the regulator . The TRAI suggested that the existing help lines can be retained as secondary numbers and if a call is made to any of these numbers, it should be directed to 112 and it can be dialled from both the mobile phones and landlines. The service will also be made accessible to those SIMs or landlines whose outgoing call facility has been barred or temporarily suspended. Users will also be able to communicate through SMS and the responding system will detect location of the caller and share it with the nearest help center.

The service will be operated from a call centre-like facility and representatives will be able to provide  a support in Hindi, English, and other local languages.

It has also been stated that all the existing emergency numbers, including the state-specific ones will be phased out within a year of implementing the new '112' number. This will be done based on the awareness about the new number. Telecom and Internet service providers will have to enable their networks for integration with the system, which will also have an automatic location information database to identify the spot from where the call has been made. Calls and text messages will land at the nearest public safety answering point or the control room. The emergency response centres will function under the police commissioners in major cities and district magistrates in other urban hubs.

 "The states will need to set up call centres that would also cater to the local languages spoken in their respective region," an official source said.

Analysts say that implementation of the measure can be a challenge to many of the areas as to bring in the adequate means, like the ample number of ambulances and the requisite number of police personnel to deal with  the emergency situations at a quick pace, can be an infrastructural nightmare.

 Now it is only the matter of time which can prove whether this new number will be a boon or a bane.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR :- 

A dreamer and a well wisher of all creatures, Anumita Mukherjee is a student of English literature from St.Xavier's college, Kolkata. This bibliophile is a poet herself and also shares the knack of writing about social issues.

Rants of a Pol Sc. student : And the current political scenario of the country

As a student of Political Science, living in India residing in West Bengal, I am often bewildered. Albeit with very little theoretical knowledge of the subject, I see around me, constant and glaring contradictions to everything I learn and understand. My disappointment with the general state of matters probably stems from my extremely ideological bent of mind, but I am assured that I cannot be the only one. I look around me, at the so-called 'polity' of my nation and state and I do not understand the entire point of even studying this subject, since none of it truly applies to the world I inhabit today. Since I have begun this rant, I will proceed to two instances where the unambiguous reality of our situation hits me.

Firstly, what bothers me, is this essential question: are we really free? Herbert Spencer had said, "A true democrat values his freedom as a miser values gold". I don't understand how this applies here. Everywhere I see general flouting of the principles of liberty and freedom, I see equality guaranteed by Section III of our Constitution impinged by the 'reasonable restrictions' and I am terrified. The JNU incident(s) scare to my very core. I won't even go into the Kanhaiya Kumar matter, not because it has been talked about vehemently by others before me, but because I fear surveillance and censure. You see? This is the world we live in. There are reports of a certain number of condom packets, cigarettes etc. found in JNU, and how that is an expression of how 'degenerate' the youth of today is and how hence, we don't deserve the simple freedom of expression. This is absolutely ludicrous. Rousseau had stated that we sacrifice our individual freedom to do what we wish, and the State guarantees us freedom in corporate capacity. I don't see that happening.

BJP M.P Gyandev Ahuja had mentioned that "2000 packets of Condom and 3000 packets of smoke" are recovered from Jnu every day

Secondly, and this will lead me to my grave, but I don't care. As a student of Marxism, in my second semester, I have been in admiration of the principles of Marx, and his contemporary neo-Marxists- Antonio Gramsci, Rosa Luxemburg and Mao Tse-tung, and I see all of it turned to dust here, in West Bengal. The CPI(M) and any of its Leftist corollaries, are in constant denial of ideological Marxism, and the 'Democratic Socialism' that they apparently espouse is grave misnomer to me. This leads to a bigger, more pressing issue- the complete ignorance of ideology by any party in our country. With the rise of coalition governments and opportunistic politics, alliances shift faster than the blink of an eye.

Karl Marx

When people ask me, what I wish to pursue after my graduation, I do not know what to say. This scares me because I cannot stand to watch the oblivion my country is slowly but surely being led into.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :- 

Rajeshwari Dasgupta, a student of Political Science at St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, is an avid reader, with a special obsession with dystopia and a surrealistic world-view. Her passions include music, theatre, petting her dog, and writing to keep herself sane. Also read :-

Feminism and Chivalry

Another Open Letter

 Have you ever felt like telling your lost love how you feel without him/her? And then you simply dump the idea or write a long message and delete it? We feel like going back to the times we spent with our Ex, we miss every little thing we did together. Here's a heartfelt letter from a girl to her lover.

Dear Muffin,

Remember me? Of course you do. Now stop pretending like I'm just another name in your long list of ex-lovers. I know that I'm still the only girl you ever took home to dine with your parents. It has been a while now since we last talked. I am writing this letter to tell you that I miss you (yes, you heard that right, now don't give that victorious grin). Even though we're not together anymore, the experiences we gave each other were irreplaceable and unforgettable. They are memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. I sometimes looked back and got sad over losing you. But prolonged solitary confinement and contemplation as well as a bit of maturity over time taught me perhaps I don't really miss YOU but the time I spent with you, our experiences together and probably the feeling of being in love.

 But no matter what, you continue to shape the person I am and will be. Although we are no longer in each others lives, I believe that there was a reason for us for coming together and losing ourselves into, as Donne would say, "the world of love" . It wasn’t because we went to the same school, or because we enjoyed the same things, or 'cause you gave your shoulder to cry on when I lost the dearest person on earth, but because you taught me things no other person could. You taught me what it's like to have someone be your entire universe, what it’s like to be the most envied girl in school or outside, what it's like to be so angry at someone but still bear with him or forgive and forget everything seeing that one smiling face; we taught each other love, the true meaning of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. And even though we won’t get to be together forever like we dreamed in our initial days, a part of my heart will always be with you, not because I am still in love with you, but because I still love you.

We no longer get to talk everyday and ask how each others day went, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wonder how you are doing. How things are going at work, how life is treating you, if you are doing the things that you love- playing guitar, blogging, singing (serenading girls I mean); how college is treating you, and most importantly- if you are still happy.

Very often your pictures pop up on Instagram and I see how happy you look, more handsome than always, and that makes me happy. It makes me happy to see that someone who played such a big role in my life, someone who taught me so many things, someone who would still be there for me if I needed him, is the same old person I used to know. Even though we grew apart eventually, my heart still loves you.

I still secretly look forward to an occasional text from you to catch up, still look forward to the days we might go get coffee together and talk about our lives, our dreams, our aspirations, and our new relationships. I really wish to see that you have found another girl that makes you happy, a girl that challenges you to be a better person, a girl that enjoys the same things you do, a girl that brings a smile on your face, and a girl that loves you as much as I do (which although I don't believe is much plausible); a girl that brings the best out of you, and inspires you to do what you love to do. Because I know that a person like you deserves the very best. In ten or twenty years from now, I still want to run into you someday, to see that you have acquired everything you had ever hoped for. Because even though we were lovers at one point, we were also best friends, remember?

You must be wondering why I wrote such a long letter to you suddenly. For two reasons, firstly someone told me penning down all my feelings for you will lessen the pain I feel at times. Secondly I want you to have a memory of mine. If at anytime you miss me, if any day you forget who I was or who we used to be I want you to read this.

So here's to all the heartfelt text messages we sent, the long phone calls till three in the morning, the crazy impulsive outings we took together, the bungee jumps (what I saw in your eyes that moment when we jumped off together is priceless till date); here is to lying on the back seat of your car holding each other tight and telling "we would never let go", to the innumerable kisses and holding hands. Here is to the endless laughs and smiles we shared, and the tears we shed for each other, the fights we got into over the silliest things, and most importantly here is to breaking each others hearts. Not because we hate each other or don’t love each other anymore, but because we knew that our time together was over. I have ACCEPTED that. But remember I'll always love you as my muffin, no matter you love me hate me or don't even care.

Love,

"Your Only Love"

P.S. Writing this letter doesn't convey my intention or desire of getting back with you again. We're not meant to be together.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A bibliophile, writer and a passionate music lover, Utsa Ghosh, is seeking her majors in English from St. Xavier's College. At the same time she takes a keen interest in politics  and is a vehement supporter of social and political reformism in India.

The Border

I have never seen the border so close before.

It was a sad feeling on witnessing how a line of barbed wire divided one nation from the other.

The roads there, were deserted,

residential places were located far from the borders;

The only human souls to be found nearby were the  men in uniform.

even cats and dogs were rare to be seen.

By the time we reached, the sun was about to set; Of course on both sides of the border.

I noticed how nature was not partial, not at all.

and I even noticed how our cheerful faces turned gloomy on reaching there.

the man in uniform, in charge of that particular  gate was busy with some file work while we maintained the silence that prevailed there.

'Are these fences at all necessary? 

we share the same soil, the same blue sky.

acres of land covered by mango orchads on both the sides

both the nation looks so similar,isnt it?

then why is this border acting as a barrier?'

I asked myself.

I asked my friends.

The question remains unanswered still.

Minutes later, while the mind was wondering beyond boundaries,

an innocent and loud laughter travelled across  the border, reached my ear ,touched my heart.

and made me smile.

borders could not confine the laughter of that little boy,

it had to reach us,

it had to reach me.

it was meant to reach me.

so similar to that  of TANI, my sister back home.

And then in my mind I named this little boy, KABIR.

My brother from a distant land.

Its funny how the ones on the other side of the border who are believed to be different from us, hold the same power to make us smile just like our dear ones back home.

How do I differentiate when I know it is the same soil beneath my feet, that was beneath Kabir's feet on the other side.

His orchards grew the same fruits on trees alike.

and between all this I wondered,

whether Kabir liked mangoes as much I did?

how the word sister would sound in Kabir's language; 

as precious as it does in my language, right?

When will I be able to meet him? ever?

The questions knew no end.

I stood there and saw how easily the birds flew to the other side,

I envy them,I wish I too had wings to fly.

I wish it was that easy for me to cross border  without the fear of losing my life.

I wish it was easy for all of us, to make friends across borders.

I stood there and thought of the friend whom I never met ,the friend from the other side ,

who is also standing there near the border of her nation, staring and thinking the same .

RUKSHANA let her be named.

I felt she was standing right  there, waving at me.

immediately I felt we shared a relation,

a relation of friendship.

I connected with her in silence and made false promises of meeting

when the world wont divide us by barbed wires

then we will share stories of our childhood and of our families,

of our festivals too.

we will share our insecurities, about the deadly noises of the firing bullets.

we will share our only fear that one day these noises will suppress Kabir's laughter forever.

We will share the thoughts that haunt, 

of humans killing humans on the basis of religion. 

And how humanity is being buried in the no mans land.

The sun has set by now, and we witnessed the border at peace .

maybe the men are tired, coincidentally on both sides to pick up their guns and wage war at each other.

we saw the birds are returning back home.

Its our time to return back home too.

The heart felt heavy for I did not get to meet Rukshana and Kabir today.

I left my flower on the border for them.

At least let the fragrance of the flower reach them in my place.

I felt Rukshana stopping me. I heard Kabir calling me to play with him.

but I had to leave today,

and left my unspoken  words as a parting gift …

Have faith in me Rukshana, 

one day we will stand together and laugh at these borders, 

at the people who believe that these wires can divide souls.

hardly do they know, souls can even connect in silence.

like mine did with yours.

till then, let them be tired for all the years to come

tired enough to pull the trigger against  their own brother

till then,let this silence prevail, Rukshana.

let the world be at peace for sometime.

let our dreams cross borders and unite

our dreams for a better world ,

where these boundaries will be erased.

and humanity will be the only religion

till then, take care of yourself 

take care of  kabir,

stay strong.

And Promise me  you will wave at me when I will visit the border again.

till then,

Goodbye, my friend.

I promise to meet you in a better place.

About the Author :- 

A member of an N.G.O, Voices For Animals, Priyanka Chatterjee is a first year student of Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University! Apart from being a responsible citizen, she is a voracious reader and a social critic! J.U students you know? Also read :-

The stories that make me

P.S :- Please do not forget to share if you liked our thought! Thank you for your time!