12 March 2010:

Right after the Annual Conference held in Kolkata, our Bankura branch has jumped into action. A tribal girl, Putul Tudu aged 12, was to be given away in marriage against her will. This is not only illegal in India, but unethical and inhumane as well. On the 9^th of March this year our secretary from Bankura, Biplab Das, and another member, Tarun Rakshit, visited the remote Housibad village amidst the jungles of Taldangra and managed to stop the wedding.

Famous Bankura Art

Biplab Das informed the police and had the girl rescued. It is not common among tribals to marry so young. Also, tribal youths normally choose their own partners with each other’s consent. This was an exceptional case, probably urged by extreme poverty.

Within two days Biplab Das and his friends got the girl admitted to the local Taldangra Girls’ School and also managed to get her hostel accommodation. The hostel, Kasturba Gandhi, offers residence to local girl students at a nominal cost.

This incident will act as a precedent and deter other such stray incidents in the poor tribal zone. The village panchyat will also be able to take similar steps whenever necessary. Congratulations to Biplab and his assistants Tarun and Prasanto!

Sumitra Padmanabhan
General Secretary, Humanist’s Association of India

Dates: 6-7 March, 2010

Location: Mulali Juba Kendra Hall near Moulali crossing close to Sealdah station, Kolkata.

The Science & Rationalists Association of India ( Bharatiya Bigyan O Yuktibadi Samity) has completed 25 fruitful years. There will be a  celebration of the silver jubilee on 6-7 March 2010. The annual conference will also be held during the two days with delegates attending seminar, workshop and interactive session during the day. The program on the evening of March 7, 2010 will be open to all. For more details about our activities you may visit our website, www.srai.org.

The program on the 7th will start from 5 pm with songs and discussion by the veteran Bengali folk song maestro Sri Swapan Basu, followed by our anti-superstition demonstrative show “Aloukik noy, Loukik”.

You are invited to attend the function and make it a grand success!

Prabir Ghosh
[G.S. Juktibadi Samiti]

Sumitra Padmanabhan
[President, Juktibadi Samiti]

People sang, prayed, marched with candles and protested against terrorism. It all sounds so common, a little silly and rather childish. On 26 November 2009, throughout the day all the TV channels showed thousands of people - young, smart, educated, upper or at least middle class Bombayites (now called Mumbaikars) thronging to the gateway or Taj hotel. Read the full story

We want to strengthen our campaign for legalizing Euthanasia in India. Seriously. Before that, I request all readers to go through the entire essay “Euthanasia or death-wish” available here.

Those who agree with the idea are free to offer new points, ask questions based on the article mentioned above and design a short draft for starting signature campaign -in print and via internet. All are welcome to join and help. Read the full story

Report by Sumitra Padmanabhan and Anindyasundar

Consider the situation in the 21st century in Medinipur, a district in the communist-ruled state of West Bengal.

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(The following is an exerpt adapted from the ebook ‘Terrorism….‘, by Prabir Ghosh & Sumitra Padmanabhan.)

TERRORISM & RELIGION

By Prabir Ghosh & Sumitra Padmanabhan

The old enmity between the Christian and the Islamic worlds has erupted afresh as the Christian countries have gradually developed into superpowers, leaving the Islamic nations lagging behind in many respects.

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Euthanasia Street Art

Death has been mystified through ages. In fact fear of death has given birth to fear of god, worship of nature and religion in its basic rudimentary sense.That is one reason why there are numerous rituals connected to death and the dead by followers of all religions . We choose our life but we cannot choose our death. There is an unhealthy promotion of suffering of all kinds recommended by religions in general.

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