IFFI,54 Inaugurated: Incentive for Foreign Film production in India to be increased to Rs 30 Crore

 Prakash Kamat

Panaji, NOV. 20- The 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), one of Asia's most prestigious film festivals was officially inaugurated in Goa on Monday.

Embracing diversity and creativity, this edition of the festival offers a spectacular and immersive lineup of films, showcasing the richness of cultures, perspectives, and narratives from across the globe. The nine day film festival has commenced with the international premiere of Catching Dust, by award-winning British filmmaker, Stuart Gatt.

In a glorious tribute to the legendary Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, was honoured with 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' Award by Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports  Anurag Singh Thakur along with Minister of State for information & Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan, and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant during the inaugural function.

In his address, Mr. Thakur announced an increase in incentive for Foreign Film production in India from Rs 2.5 Crore to Rs 30 Crore.

 He also said thst the Government of India was committed to make India the most sought-after destination for film shoots.(eom)

Goa State Child Rights body writes to Minister for Women&Child Welfare seeking intervention for strengthening child protection systems

Prakash Kamat in Panaji

Monday,Nov.13-The Goa State Commission  for Protection of Child Rights(GSCPCR) has today written to Goa Minister for Women and Child Development,Vishwajit Rane requesting his intervention for Strengthening Child Protection Systems in the State.

The letter has significance as it comes on the eve of the Children’s Day.

The Commission says that a current analysis of the system indicates that Goa is lagging far behind, with poor implementation and under-utilization of the of Integrated Child Protection Scheme, now Mission Vatsalya, for over a decade. 

Mission Vatsalya Scheme was launched as a roadmap to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). It laid emphasis on child rights, advocacy, and awareness along with strengthening of the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to 'leave no child behind'. 

For past two years, as a monitoring and recommendatory statutory body, the Commission has been able to make little headway, with several recommendation not being complied. 

All of us in the child protection ecosystem, including the children desires your intervention,the letter reiterated.

Today, children face myriad risks such as separation from parents and caregivers, family violence, sexual abuse and exploitation including online, disabilities, bullying and violence in schools and communities, justice-related issues, living and working on the streets,dangerous labour, substance abuse, trafficking, HIV and AIDS, and inability to meet basic needs. 

Lack of proposed interventions like aftercare for those transitioned out of institutional care, sponsorship scheme to prevent parents from institutionalized care and promote family-based care, delay in creating demand for foster care, failure to identify and address child protection issues in communities, poor justice system, for over a decade has weakened the ecosystem and failed to provide safety and safe environment for children to grow and thrive,laments the Commission.

The shoddy response to children in street situation, despite a well-designed standard operating procedure for rescue and rehabilitation and direction by Supreme Court is of great concern as it has increased the risks and vulnerabilities in children leading to abuse, neglect,exploitation, abandonment, and isolation,notes the Commission with concern. 

"The state of Goa is witnessing an astonishing number of children growing up on the street at several places in Goa as child beggars, child hawkers pleading desperately to sell a sunshade, stationary or something that is of minimal importance,"said the Commissikn,adding,"The phenomenon of street children has not yet received the policy attention it deserves." 

The non recruitment of personnel required for District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) has only worsened the system. For several years, there has been no strong social service workforce to assist the larger ecosystem with timely outreach services and interventions. 

Further, since July this year, the Childline (1098) which is taken over by the government is under resourced with funds as well as non-recruitment of personnel,weakening the response system to children in distress. 

"It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a whole eco-system to keep them safe to help them grow. No matter their story, their background, their origin, all children have the right to health care, education and other forms of social protection that shield them from the lifelong consequences of poverty and exclusion.

"We need a big overhaul of the system and investment in innovate solutions to improve children’s access to justice systems that are child-friendly, gender-sensitive and well resourced to uphold their rights and dignity at all stages of their journey,"says Chairman of the GSCPCR.

"The Hon’ble Commission is ready to work with other stakeholders in the system to address these issues on a war footing with your intervention and support.  We need to start looking at our children as equal citizen of today. Investing in our children is investing in our future,"he has said offering full cooperation from the Commission for the cause of the marginalised children.  

The Commison Chairman has said that he looks forward to continuing the constructive dialogue on this and has assured him of best support.(eom)

Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights calls for strengthened prevention to address the growing concern of substance abuse among students

 

Prakash Kamat, Panaji, June 25- The Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights(GSCPCR) has called for strengthened prevention to address the growing concern of substance abuse among students, ahead of the observance of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, with the theme “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”.

 

Strengthening prevention is very vital as the drug abuse problem is now eating into the very vials of Goan society and is doing much more damage than even alcohol. Drug and alcohol use affects health outcomes, job opportunities, family life, and academic outcomes. The problem is grave and continues to wreak havoc in the State, resulting in tragic consequences for young adolescents, their families, and communities.

 

Prevention programmes in educational settings offers a “window of opportunity” for the establishment of neural pathways that may protect against the development of drug and alcohol use problems. The state requires, a well-coordinated, sustainable response to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and drugs that seeks to improve the health and social outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Therefore, now more than ever, it is critical to focus resources and efforts,says Peter F. Borges, Chairperson, GSCPCR on Sunday.

 

The Goa State Commission in the recent times, has been leading coordinated efforts with government departments and civil society organization for strengthening prevention initiatives in the State. The same will be now strengthened with the following measures:

1. Promotion of Prahari Clubs to ensure a drug-free campus by imposing a total ban on the possession or consumption or use of drugs and alcohol by students at the school, within or outside the campus.  A large range of preventive programmes will be promoted through the clubs to prevent children from using tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.
2. Capacity building of stakeholders, i.e., counsellors, nodal teachers, to create a cadre of professionals to provide range of substance use prevention and early intervention services and support.
3. Formulation and adaptation of school drug policy to set normative values and expectations for student behaviour as well as to document procedures for dealing with drug-related incidents in schools.(eom)

Goa Issues Advisory for the Monsoon Months of June to September

  

Prakash Kamat

Panaji,June 3- The southwest monsoon is likely to hit Goa’s coast within the next couple of days according to the India meteorological department(IMD). Also, with the entry of the monsoons in Goa the fishing ban has come into effect on June 1 and end on July 31st  as it isn't safe for trawlers to venture into the seas during the monsoon. 

Drishti's, lifeguard service which patrols Goa's beaches has advised people and tourists to take safety and precautionary measures while venturing on beaches of Goa.

Because of the impending monsoons and current weather conditions, red flags have been posted across all beaches under Drishti's supervision, indicating that these are strictly no-swim zones.

"Pre-monsoon showers have already hit Goa," said Navin Awasthi, Operations Head, Drishti Marine. He went on to say, “Light showers have been seen along the coast in recent days. We have placed red flags at all of the beaches to indicate that the area is not suitable for swimming. Even wading into the water is not advised. Our team of lifeguards stationed along the coast is keeping an eye on the weather. The team has been trained to perform rescues even in bad weather."

Drishti advises visitors to avoid rocky areas, cliffs, and hills along the shoreline. During the monsoon season, these are considered perilous due to their slippery nature. The wave height, intensity, and frequencies of the waves in the sea too are extremely high, making it easy to get pulled into the ferocious sea. River bathing, including water sports, is prohibited. Drishti Marine monitors sea conditions and weather conditions on a daily basis. 

#ListenToYourLifesaver: Safety tips for the monsoons by Drishti, Goa’s lifesaver agency:

• We advise visitors not to venture onto the beach. Even wading into the waters is not advisable. 

• Wear a mask and maintain social distancing at all times.

• Those visiting the beach should keep a minimum 10 metres away from the waterline and listen to the instructions given by the lifesavers.

• Keep a very close eye on children while on the beach and do not allow children to venture into the waters unattended, no matter how shallow it may be .

• Stay alert as lifesavers while patrolling make announcements to alarm and educate people via the Public Address System put up on the jeeps.

• It is not suitable to head out to the beach or venture into the water during lightning and thunder because lightning can pose a danger. 

• Do not get onto the rocks during low tide because the rocks get a lot more slippery and mossy during the monsoon season.

• It is not advisable to swim or to engage in any water sports activities at the beach during the monsoons from June to September because even though the sea may seem calm, a sudden large wave can sneak up on you and pull you into deep waters without warnings. 

•  If under the influence of alcohol make sure you do not venture into the water. 

• Always read and obey the safety signs found at the main entrance of the beach(eom)

Konkan Railway Gears for Monsoon-2022

Prakash Kamat

Panaji, June 2-Just ahead of monsoons when Konkan region is known to receive heavy rainfall, Konkan Railway completed the planned safety works on its 740km route and now gears up for the onset of monsoon season. 

Special attention has been given to catch water drain cleaning and inspection of cuttings. The large-scale geo-safety works executed along the railway line in the last few years have significantly reduced the incidences of boulder fall and soil slip, thus ensuring safe running of trains. No major disruption to train services have occured on account of boulder fall during monsoons in the last nine years,says a spokesperson of the Konkan Railways.

Konkan Railway will conduct Monsoon Patrolling as per the prescribed guidelines  to ensure safe running of trains. About 846 personnel will patrol the Konkan Railway route during the monsoon. Identified vulnerable locations will be patrolled round the clock, Stationary Watchmen will be deployed for 24 hours and speed restrictions will be imposed at these locations. BRN mounted excavators have been kept ready at nominated points for quick movement in case of any emergency.

Instructions have also been issued to loco pilots to run the trains at a reduced speed of 40 kmph in case of heavy rainfall when visibility is limited. Self-propelled ARMVs (Accident Relief Medical Van), with provision of Operation Theater and emergency medical aid are kept ready at Ratnagiri and Verna.  The ART (Accident Relief Train) is also kept ready at Verna.

Mobile phones have been provided to all safety category staff to contact the control office / station in an emergency. Both Loco Pilots and Guards of trains have been provided with Walkie-talkie sets as well as every station on Konkan Railway is equipped with a 25 Watt VHF base station. This enables wireless communication between the train crew as well as train crew and Station Master. Emergency Communication (EMC) sockets have been provided at a distance of average 1 Km along the Konkan Railway route that enables the Patrolmen, Watchmen, Loco Pilots, Guard and other field maintenance staff to contact Station Master and control office during any emergency situations. Satellite phone communication has been provided in ARMV (Accident Relief Medical Van) for emergency contact. All main signal aspects on Konkan Railway are now replaced with LEDs for improving signal visibility.

Self-recording rain gauges have been installed at 9 stations viz. Mangaon, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Vilwade, Kanakavali, Madgaon, Karwar, Bhatkal & Udupi which will record the rainfall in the region and alert Officials in case of increased rainfall. Flood warning systems for bridges have been provided at 3 locations viz. Kali river (between Mangaon & Veer), Savitri river (between Veer & Sape Wamane), Vashishti river (between Chiplun & Kamathe) and will alert Officials in case water flow reaches above danger Level. Anemometers have been installed at 04 locations viz. Panval viaduct (between Ratnagiri & Nivasar), Mandovi bridge (between Thivim & Karmali ), Zuari bridge ( Karmali & Verna) and Sharavati bridge (between Honnavar & Manki) to monitor the wind velocity. 

Control rooms at Belapur, Ratnagiri and Madgaon, will work 24 x 7 during monsoon period for ensuring safe running of trains. Monsoon Time Table will come into effect from 10th June, 2022 upto 31st Oct, 2022. Passengers may check train status online during monsoon by visiting www.konkanrailway.com or using KRCL App by downloading from Google Play Store or by dialing 139.

Konkan Railway aims to ensure safe travel for its passengers in the coming monsoon with the measures taken above,says the spokesperson on Thursday.(eom)

Prostitution(CSA) has been decriminalised by the Supreme Court,to protect the victims

Prakash Kamat

Panaji,May 27- As regards the Supreme Court ruling in the Criminal Appeal No (S) 135/2010, Budhadev Karmaskar Vs The State of Bengal & ORS on 19/05/2022, there appears to be a big misunderstanding regarding the order/directions/observations of the Supreme Court,says Arun Pandey, Director, Arz (anti sex trafficking NGO).

"Supreme Court has not legalised prostitution but decriminalised prostitution”. 

The decriminalization of sex work is the removal of criminal penalties for sex work. 

Decriminalization is distinct from legalization.

The Supreme Court has not legalised commercial sexual activity, but instead decriminalised commercial sexual activity for the women in commercial sexual activity. 

In-fact the Supreme Court has reiterated what is already laid down in the special law, 

Immoral Traffic Prevention, 1956 & IPC. ITPA & IPC, provides for action against those iinvolved in commercialisation of sexual activity and involved in recruiting, selling, buying aandsurviving on the earnings of women in prostitution. 

The special law does not provide for prosecution of women involved in commercial sexual activity.

Apex Court has talked about Arrest & long- term detention at protective home of adult women in prostitution. 

Arrest Vs Rescue:

In large number cases in India the women in Prostitution are arrested and not rescued by police. 

The Supreme Court has rightly ordered that, women in prostitution should not be criminally prosecuted for being prostitution. Because the experience has shown that criminal prosecution of women in prostitution leads to their further dependence on their exploiter and leading to becoming “bonded sex slaves”.

Mr. Pandey further says that the present Supreme Court direction/order does not prevent the police to rescue the women in prostitution under sec 15 of ITPA and lodging them in protective home. 

Short term Stay Vs. Long term incarceration at Protective Home/Shelter Home:

In large number of cases in India post rescue of women from prostitution proper inquiry is not conducted and women continues to languish at protective for years. 

The Apex court has rightly stated that an adult person should not be kept at the protective home/shelter home for 2 -3 years only because she wishes to continue in prostitution or her relatives are unfit to take the custody. A long term forced stay at protective home/shelter home is noting but a forced incarceration. 

The women in prostitution requires community-based rehabilitation which includes psychosocial services and livelihood alternative. Rehabilitation can’t be forced on a woman only because she is in prostitution.

The apex court order has only reiterated that the women in prostitution should not be illtreated and victimised by the law enforcement agencies.

The apex court order no where STOPS the police to act against the pimps, brothel keepers, clients and those surviving on the earnings of women in prostitution.

"The apex court has rightly said, what we at Arz, NGO has been advocating,that the girls and women in prostitution should be rescued and not arrested," reiterates Mr. Pandey.

After rescue they should be admitted at the protective home and an inquiry should be conducted in a victim- friendly manner and post inquiry if the victims want rehabilitation, she should be provided non shelter based rehabilitation and in case she wishes to go back to prostitution she should be allowed.

In Goa, generally the recent direction of the Apex Court is already being followed.

1. Girls in prostitution are rescued and not arrested.

2. After rescue the girls are admitted at the protective home for safe custody and protection.

3. The magistrate conducts an inquiry in a victim friendly manner (It is only in Goa that the magistrate visits the protective home along with 5 social workers and conducts an inquiry for her release and rehabilitation).

4. The rescued victims are generally at the protective home for 20 to 3O days. 

5. Only those victims are for longer period who are foreign nationals and their documentation for return is pending with their embassy or those from India who needs to be escorted to their home state.

6. In Goa if the victims are from Goa, all of them are offered alternative livelihood by Arz, NGO. 

7. Sex workers are being issued Aadhar card and Voting Card.

Goa is a destination State and the girls and women are trafficked from different States and countries to Goa for commercial sexual exploitation. The law enforcement agencies should study the judgement properly and should not misunderstand that prostitution has been legalised. The police should continue rescue, Department of Women and Child Development should provide proper services to the rescued victim at the protective home and the magistrate should in time bound period,(withing 21 days) pass final order, to enable the release of the girls from protective home,says Mr. Pandey.(eom)

GUJ urges Goa government to notify ‘Goa Journalists Welfare Bill’:Condemns stripping of journalists in MP & chaining of a journalist in Odisha

Prakash Kamat

Panaji,April 8-The Goa Union of Journalists(GUJ),body of working journalists has appealed to the State government to fast-track the introduction and notification of the 'Goa Journalist Welfare Bill' which will provide protection to journalists from violence while on duty.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in his 2020 budget speech had announced the legislation 'Goa Journalist Welfare Bill' to protect on-duty Goan journalists from violence.

Goa Union of Journalists’ executive committee had earlier submitted the draft of the much-needed 'Goa State Journalists Protection Act' to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The Chief Minister has been consistently updated on the Journalists Protection Acts in other states on account of an increase in the number of crimes against journalists.

According to Goa Director, Information and Publicity, Dipak Bandekar, technical queries raised by the Police and Law department had delayed the implementation process. All technical queries have been addressed now and the 'Goa Journalist Welfare Bill' will be soon introduced and passed in the coming session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.    

Meanwhile, GUJ strongly condemned the ugly incidents of journalists along with YouTubers and theatre artists being arrested and stripped down to their inner wears inside the Kotwali police station in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh.

According to the local YouTube journalist Kanishk Tewari, he and his camera person were arrested while covering the protest against the arrest of theatre artist Neeraj Kumar for making alleged indecent remarks against BJP’s Kedarnath Shukla and his son Kedar Shukla.

According to the Free Press Journal, journalists were kept in the lock-up for nearly 18 hours, severely beaten and asked to remove their clothes. To further humiliate the group, police clicked photos of journalists, artists and activists and posted them on social media.

In another incident in Odisha’s Balasore district, police chained a journalist’s leg to a hospital bed, following a case of assault.

Local journalist Loknath Delai has,however, refuted the charges stating that his reporting on corruption involving police led to his arrest.  

"These cowardly acts by the law enforcing authorities in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha are highly condemnable. They are an attack on the freedom of the press which cannot be treated lightly,"said Goa Union of Journalists in a statement released in Panaji on Friday.(eom)