Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Ex-bandits shoot blanks to avoid baby boom
By Shuriah Niazi
Apr 2, 2008, Asia Times
BHOPAL, India - In an area of India notorious for untamed outlaw activity, an innovative health campaign is using the local citizens' longstanding love affair with guns to battle overpopulation.
In the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh - the historic stomping grounds of India's legendary "dacoit", or bandit, gangs - male villagers are lining up for nasbandi, or vasectomy, in return for a cherished gun license. Considering the area's penchant for firearms and its history of crime, men seeking gun permits in the past have faced a stiff application process. Now, men who present a sterilization certificate are sent to the front of the line.
Awarding guns to forestall a baby boom is the brain child of Bhind official Manish Shrivastava, a district tax collector. According to Shrivastava, Chambal has the highest rates of malnourished children and anemic women in India. Other family planning
campaigns, he told Asia Times Online, have misfired largely due to notions of machismo and taboos against intrusive medical procedures.
"I gathered it had to with their perceived notions of manliness. I then decided to match it with a bigger symbol of manliness, a gun license," Shrivastava told The Telegraph newspaper of Calcutta.
So far this year more than 175 men have undergone vasectomies, compared with only eight last year, and Shrivastava expects 100 more in coming weeks. But despite the desired results, the plan has drawn fire from medical and law enforcement officials. In a March 5 article in the The Telegraph, Delhi urologist Suresh Rawat blasted the idea, calling it "ridiculous and irresponsible".
But others, including many Chambal families, feel the campaign is a positive step in securing much-needed weapons, a salve for population problems and a welcome move to modernize a region still shackled to old-time traditions and a dark reputation.
Family planning, at the barrel of a gun
Chambal has been a haven for dacoits, robbers and thugs since as early as the 5th century. The region's yawning chasms and gaping ravines provide an ideal setting for banditry. According to historians, even during Mughal times the powerful administration failed to curb the menace, and as many as 216 dacoits were shot dead and 697 arrested in Bhind district alone from 1959 to 1963. Chambal was the home of the legendary bandit queen Phoolan Devi and other dreaded dacoits.
Guns, many say, are the pride of the Chambal region, and possessing one is a matter of prestige. Residents are known to spend huge sums purchasing weapons and household displays of high-caliber firearms are common. Bhind district has over 92 gun shops and over 23,000 licensed gun owners. Neighboring Shivpuri district has 11,000 gun licensees while nearby Morena district has more than 15,000. On any rural road in Morena, Shivpuri or Bhind it's easy to observe villagers with guns slung with their shoulders. In the Chambal, the gun is a status symbol.
It can also mean self-defense in a region still described as "dacoit-infested" by major Indian newspapers. Local journalist Pravin Chitransh told Asia Times Online, "Dacoits are still active in the ravines here and it is necessary to own a gun to protect oneself from the bandits. However, most bandits do not harm the common people."
Chitransh added that a man loses his honor in society if he loses his gun. A local axiom holds that a person who can't take care of his gun, is good for nothing. According to Chitransh, guns are also routinely used to settle scores. And it's not the first time that gun licenses have been used as incentives for social change. In Morena district in 2005, the superintendent of police offered gun licenses to those who provided information about the criminals.
But the Chambal region, with its rich agricultural tracts, is in the early stages of development; the topography is gradually changing with the reclamation of ravines for agricultural purpose. The dubious distinction of being the home of the dacoits is gradually fading as well. Provincial officials hope that with agricultural and irrigation the area will become prolific and prosperous and, in due time, break the crushing cycle of poverty.
Still, old traditions die hard. Even as locals turn to farming instead of banditry the issue of gun ownership remains both a necessity and social priority. As Bhind resident Sumer told Asia TImes Online, "It's the question of our pride".
Vasectomy plan under fire
Thirty-nine year old Mewat Singh underwent sterilization last month to get himself a gun license. "It's quiet difficult to get a gun license here," he said. "When the administration is offering us incentives for sterilization in the form of gun license, then why should we not take advantage of this?"
Mewat Singh is not alone in the belief that bearing arms outweighs bearing children. Hundreds of people in the region want guns and now a vasectomy is the easiest way to do it legally. As Singh pointed out succinctly, "We will have same pleasure during sex and would have a gun license as well."
"Vasectomy leaves the patient unchanged except that the vas deferens - the tubes leading to the testes - are blocked," said Bhind's Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinesh Kaushik. "The testes still produce sperm, but the sperm die and are absorbed by the body. The level of testosterone remains the same and all male sexual characteristics remain the same. For most men, the ability to have an erection is unchanged. "
Local police claim that an increase in guns does not necessarily equal an increase in crime. The Town Inspector at a police station at Bhind Mahesh Budholia said that more guns means the citizens are more empowered to protect themselves. As he put it, "For committing a crime no one will wait for gun permits. They can use illegal weapons."
Women in the area feel the measure is a good way to control the population. Kanta Tomar told Asia Times Online, " I don't see anything wrong in the proposal. After all the collector is the one who issues the gun permits. He wants that maximum number of people should go for sterilization. He is supporting the state in their efforts to control population. "
But social worker KS Mishra said that Chambal residents will simply do anything to for a gun. According to Mishra, this is not the right way to promote family planning and the "administration must take up other measures to encourage people".
Meanwhile District Collector Shrivastava is beaming. "It has helped immensely in family planning. A large number of people are coming for vasectomies in the hope of obtaining a license for the guns. Our scheme has been quite successful."
Shuriah Niazi is a freelance writer based in central India.
Apr 2, 2008, Asia Times
BHOPAL, India - In an area of India notorious for untamed outlaw activity, an innovative health campaign is using the local citizens' longstanding love affair with guns to battle overpopulation.
In the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh - the historic stomping grounds of India's legendary "dacoit", or bandit, gangs - male villagers are lining up for nasbandi, or vasectomy, in return for a cherished gun license. Considering the area's penchant for firearms and its history of crime, men seeking gun permits in the past have faced a stiff application process. Now, men who present a sterilization certificate are sent to the front of the line.
Awarding guns to forestall a baby boom is the brain child of Bhind official Manish Shrivastava, a district tax collector. According to Shrivastava, Chambal has the highest rates of malnourished children and anemic women in India. Other family planning
campaigns, he told Asia Times Online, have misfired largely due to notions of machismo and taboos against intrusive medical procedures.
"I gathered it had to with their perceived notions of manliness. I then decided to match it with a bigger symbol of manliness, a gun license," Shrivastava told The Telegraph newspaper of Calcutta.
So far this year more than 175 men have undergone vasectomies, compared with only eight last year, and Shrivastava expects 100 more in coming weeks. But despite the desired results, the plan has drawn fire from medical and law enforcement officials. In a March 5 article in the The Telegraph, Delhi urologist Suresh Rawat blasted the idea, calling it "ridiculous and irresponsible".
But others, including many Chambal families, feel the campaign is a positive step in securing much-needed weapons, a salve for population problems and a welcome move to modernize a region still shackled to old-time traditions and a dark reputation.
Family planning, at the barrel of a gun
Chambal has been a haven for dacoits, robbers and thugs since as early as the 5th century. The region's yawning chasms and gaping ravines provide an ideal setting for banditry. According to historians, even during Mughal times the powerful administration failed to curb the menace, and as many as 216 dacoits were shot dead and 697 arrested in Bhind district alone from 1959 to 1963. Chambal was the home of the legendary bandit queen Phoolan Devi and other dreaded dacoits.
Guns, many say, are the pride of the Chambal region, and possessing one is a matter of prestige. Residents are known to spend huge sums purchasing weapons and household displays of high-caliber firearms are common. Bhind district has over 92 gun shops and over 23,000 licensed gun owners. Neighboring Shivpuri district has 11,000 gun licensees while nearby Morena district has more than 15,000. On any rural road in Morena, Shivpuri or Bhind it's easy to observe villagers with guns slung with their shoulders. In the Chambal, the gun is a status symbol.
It can also mean self-defense in a region still described as "dacoit-infested" by major Indian newspapers. Local journalist Pravin Chitransh told Asia Times Online, "Dacoits are still active in the ravines here and it is necessary to own a gun to protect oneself from the bandits. However, most bandits do not harm the common people."
Chitransh added that a man loses his honor in society if he loses his gun. A local axiom holds that a person who can't take care of his gun, is good for nothing. According to Chitransh, guns are also routinely used to settle scores. And it's not the first time that gun licenses have been used as incentives for social change. In Morena district in 2005, the superintendent of police offered gun licenses to those who provided information about the criminals.
But the Chambal region, with its rich agricultural tracts, is in the early stages of development; the topography is gradually changing with the reclamation of ravines for agricultural purpose. The dubious distinction of being the home of the dacoits is gradually fading as well. Provincial officials hope that with agricultural and irrigation the area will become prolific and prosperous and, in due time, break the crushing cycle of poverty.
Still, old traditions die hard. Even as locals turn to farming instead of banditry the issue of gun ownership remains both a necessity and social priority. As Bhind resident Sumer told Asia TImes Online, "It's the question of our pride".
Vasectomy plan under fire
Thirty-nine year old Mewat Singh underwent sterilization last month to get himself a gun license. "It's quiet difficult to get a gun license here," he said. "When the administration is offering us incentives for sterilization in the form of gun license, then why should we not take advantage of this?"
Mewat Singh is not alone in the belief that bearing arms outweighs bearing children. Hundreds of people in the region want guns and now a vasectomy is the easiest way to do it legally. As Singh pointed out succinctly, "We will have same pleasure during sex and would have a gun license as well."
"Vasectomy leaves the patient unchanged except that the vas deferens - the tubes leading to the testes - are blocked," said Bhind's Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinesh Kaushik. "The testes still produce sperm, but the sperm die and are absorbed by the body. The level of testosterone remains the same and all male sexual characteristics remain the same. For most men, the ability to have an erection is unchanged. "
Local police claim that an increase in guns does not necessarily equal an increase in crime. The Town Inspector at a police station at Bhind Mahesh Budholia said that more guns means the citizens are more empowered to protect themselves. As he put it, "For committing a crime no one will wait for gun permits. They can use illegal weapons."
Women in the area feel the measure is a good way to control the population. Kanta Tomar told Asia Times Online, " I don't see anything wrong in the proposal. After all the collector is the one who issues the gun permits. He wants that maximum number of people should go for sterilization. He is supporting the state in their efforts to control population. "
But social worker KS Mishra said that Chambal residents will simply do anything to for a gun. According to Mishra, this is not the right way to promote family planning and the "administration must take up other measures to encourage people".
Meanwhile District Collector Shrivastava is beaming. "It has helped immensely in family planning. A large number of people are coming for vasectomies in the hope of obtaining a license for the guns. Our scheme has been quite successful."
Shuriah Niazi is a freelance writer based in central India.
Labels: India
¶ 10:26 PM
