mumbai central – The Metrognome

Security, rights and civil liberties for women

The US Consulate General, Mumbai, is hosting a panel discussion by women working in security, this evening at Mumbai Central.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Women’s safety, security and the safeguarding of their fundamental rights are all being frequently discussed all over the world currently, given the fact that several incidents that go against these rights are taking place globally.

The US Consulate General, Mumbai, is shining a spotlight on these issues this evening with a panel discussion on ‘Women security in India: Understanding your legal and civil rights’. The talk is being hosted as part of the month-long Women’s History Month being celebrated in the United States, and will be facilitated by writer and activist Aarefa Johari.

Panelists for the talk include Tiffany Williams, acclaimed human trafficking and labour rights specialist for the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), Audrey D’Mello, Programme Director at Majlis, Insia Dariwala, writer, director and child sexual abuse activist, and Shalini Sharma, police inspector with the Mumbai Police.

Be there early to get a seat, and RSVP your presence to MumbaiPublicAffairs@state.gov with your name, contact details and name of your company or education institution.

The talk will be held YMCA International House and Programme Centre, 18, YMCA Road, Mumbai Central, from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Western Railway stops rodent control operation at last minute

The operation aimed at killing at least 10,000 rats at Mumbai Central station; WR stopped the operation at the last minute.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Here’s an interesting turn of events – today, a pest control company was to conduct a free rodent control operation at Mumbai Central station, after the Western Railway (WR) approved of the drive. However, just before the drive could commence, WR officials reportedly shut it down without assigning a reason.

Said Dr Sanjay Karamkar, owner of Laxmi Fumigation and Pest Control Ltd. “As a part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, our company initiated the process of rodent control at Mumbai Central station at platform 1 to 5 yesterday, February 9, 2015. Considering the menace of rodents at railway stations and their increasing population, this initiative was a boon.We had pledged to catch about 10,000 rodents at the railway station. It was at the commencement of the drive that Western Railway Administration got cold feet about the publicity and the apparent defamation that it would face, considering the huge number of rodents at the station. They then compelled us to abort the process.”

In 2014, the same company had successfully caught 8,000 mice in a hospital in Indore. Dr Karamkar says he had all the requisite permissions from WR for the drive, which was a free pest control operation. “The Railway administration had agreed and granted us the permission, but on the day of the operation when 15 of our representatives were about to begin their operation, they were stopped by the railway authorities and were asked to leave the premises without any explanation,” he claimed.

Dr Karamkar added that despite questioning the authorities, he was asked not to continue with the drive and no explanation was given for the revocation of permission. He also alleged that WR was probably afraid of bad publicity after the drive. On his part, he has issued a written complaint to the Union Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, against Western Railway administration, by email.

(Picture courtesy moreindia.in)