Communal Riots in India Essay

Communal riots have become a distinct feature of communalism in India. Whenever conflicting groups from two different religions, which are self –conscious communities, clash, it results in a communal riot. An event is identified as a communal riot if (a) there is violence, and (b) two or more communally identified groups confront each other or members of the other group at some point during the violence.1 The reason for such a clash could be superficial and trivial, though underlying them are deeper considerations of political representation, control of and access to resources and power. There have been many incidents of riots recorded during the course of British rule and even before that. For example: In Ahmedabad there were riots in 1714, 1715, 1716 and 1750. But according to Bipan Chandra, in his book â€Å"Communalism in Modern India†, communal tension and riots began to occur only in the last quarter of the 19th century, but they did not occur in India on any sign ificant scale till 1946-472. Before that, the maximum communal rioting took place during 1923-26. A clear relationship between communal riots and politics was established for the first time in 1946, when the Muslim League gave its direct action call on August 16, 1946. 3 This chronology reveals that communal riots are not caused spontaneously and also that they are rarely caused by religious animosity. They arise due to conflicting political interests, which are often linked to economic interests. There is a significant change in the pattern of communal riots since the 1990s, which could be noticed in the later part of this chronology. This brings forth the shifts that have occurred in the nature of communal riots in India. Moreover, the aim is to underline that religion in most of the cases is not the reason why communal riots occur. The reason for the occurrence of communal violence has been different in the two different phases. During the time of partition, it was the clash of political interests of the elite of two different communities which resulted in communal riots.4 But, from the 1960s till the late 1980s, the local political and economic factors played a very important role in instigating riots. The emergence of Hindutva politics in the last two decades has been a cause of communal riots in this phase where the local factors have also helped in instigating riots. Communa l riots that took place from the 1960s to the 1980s follow a particular pattern. Read more: Essay About Crime Rate in India They have mostly occurred in urban towns which are either industrial belts or trading centers with the economy largely based on a particular occupation. Most of these places had a considerable percentage of Muslim population whose political or economic interests clashed with those of the Ashtosh Varshney, Ethnic Violence and Civic Life, (New Haven : Yale University Press, 2002), p.309 2 Bipan Chandra, Communalism in Modern India, (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing Home, 1984), Pp 4 3 Ibid, 6 4 Asghar Ali Engineer, â€Å"Gujarat Riots in the Light of the History of Communal Violence,† Economic and Political Weekly, December 14, 2002, pp. 5047-5054 -11 Hindus. Moreover, the major riots occurred when the Congress was in power in these states or during the short and uncertain phase of the Janata Party coalition rule at the Centre. Riots in this phase might have occurred in the villages or rural areas like the Biharsharif riots, but they have often remained unreported. Therefore it is important to distinguish this phase from the 1990s during which the BJP and its sister organizations have been active in instigating communal riots. Communal violence since 1990s needs to be seen in the light of the changing political equations in the country. The decline of the Congress and the emergence of the BJP as a strong political force resulted in shifting patterns of communal riots. Communal violence in the last two decades is a result of the manipulation of the religious sentiments of people by the Hindu right-wing organizations for political gains. The politicization of the Mandir-Masjid issue and the subsequent demolition of the Mosque gave t he BJP the opportunity to consolidate its vote bank. But in the process the controversy created a communal divide, and frequency of riots also increased during this time. Since partition, never before has one particular incident resulted in the emergence of violence in almost all the states. From the 1960s till 1980 local factors played a very important role in the emergence of riots, but since the late 1980s this trend seems to be changing. Communal violence has always occurred when the BJP has wanted to expand its base. In the recent years the South Indian states, particularly Kerala and Tamilnadu, have also witnessed communal violence and are slowly growing into communally sensitive areas. This is primarily because of the recent entrance of BJP in the political arena of these states. Apart from Godhra, the other incidences of communal violence in the 90s have been minor, yet they cannot be dismissed. These eruptions of communal violence have not been spontaneous, but are organized, and often have the support of the local administrations. The state support to riots is a long established feature in India, yet the state has never been such an active participant in the violence before the Gujarat riots. Communal violence has entered a new phase with the Christians and members of other minority religions being made the victims of planned attacks. Communal riots in this decade have been both urban and rural features, but the extent of damage is always greater in the thriving centers of trade and commerce. Tribal population in the rural areas is being forced to get involved in the attacks on Christians and Muslims by bringing them within the Hindutva framework. Apart from economic reasons, the call for Hindu unity which is primarily a means to achieve political advantage is the main source for communal violence in this decade. Godhra was indeed the first major communal riot that got suc h a wide media coverage particularly from the satellite channels. Therefore the media now needs to be more responsible, considering the influence that it can have over the masses. It is time that the media stopped any kind of biased reporting as it can further encourage the communal elements to instigate the masses. Political parties have always had a hand in instigating and exploiting communal violence so as to meet their electoral interests. Though communal riots are condemned in various quarters, there is still complete inaction both from the administration and the ruling governments in many states. Though religious festivals and processions are generally the starting points of communal riots, still sufficient security is not provided during these times. There is also not much response against incidents of communal violence from the civil society. Till the time the political parties which instigate communal riots are voted to power, the incentives to combat communalism will not b e able to develop fully. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Hindus, Muslims Hindus, Muslims Casualties Dead 5000 5000 Injured 25000 3000 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks 1947 MarchAugust, 1947 Calcutta and Naokhali, Bengal Lahore and Amritsar, Punjab Kota Kota Jabalpur elopement of a Hindu girl with a Muslim boy, son of a local bidi magnate was the immediate cause; rivalry between Hindus and Muslims in the bidi industry business rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims, particularly in the liquor trade in Rourkela Justice Shiv Dayal Srivastava Committee intelligence department was inefficient, the law and order authorities responsible for laxity in investigation and prosecution, resulting in large acquittals The riots in Bihar also led to largescale devastation of human lives and properties. Punjab was the worst effected during the Partition riots. It was the key to the issue of partition and thus to the constitutional fate of India. In Lahore and Amritsar armed mobs murdered the people and burnt their homes situation brought under control quickly situation brought under control quickly A new phase began with the Jabalpur riots when local factors started playing an important role in instigating violence. Rourkela, Calcutta, Jamshedpur 2000, mostly Muslims reaction to the atrocities committed against Hindus in East Pakistan. communal elements were given a free hand by the administration Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons started due to brick batting of a students’ procession urging that Urdu be made the second official language of Bihar Casualties Dead 19 Hindus, 164 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Raghubir Dayal Commission Result Remarks August 1967 Hatia, Ranchi feelings were agitated on hearing rumors about what happened in Ranchi. The commission was critical about the inadequate measures adopted by the district authority in Hatia; DM and SP new and inexperienced; political parties and labour unions criticized It was around 1964-65 that communal disturbances began to occur in Aurangabad. The Jamait-e-Islami did not have any active branches till about 1964. The Jan Sangh in the fourth general elections found the first opportunity to approach the masses on a purely communal platform since opposing Congress candidate in Aurangabad was a Muslim. Majority of the Hindu population of Karimganj was engaged in trade and business, the bulk of them were also involved in smuggling. The Hindus of the region resented the fact that Muslim smugglers had an edge over them, due to their relations with the Muslim population in Pakistan. Aurangabad accidental injury to a cow by a Muslim boy while he was trying to chase it away from his shop. Loot and arson by RSSJan Sangh and Congress workers. Retaliation by Muslims a cow belonging to a Muslim trespassed into a Hindu house. When a Hindu boy tried to chase the cow away, a few Muslims beat him up 41 Hindua, 41 Muslims one incident of stabbing a Hindu March 1968 Karimganj, Assam   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Communal riots between Hindus and Muslims occurred near the Jagannath Temple in September. The riots spread to 25 more localities, in which around 512 persons lost their lives. It is alleged that handbills calling for a religious war were distributed to the rioters by the Jan Sangh and the RSS. Casualties Dead 512 Injured Inquiry Commission Justice P.Jaganmoha n Reddy Result Remarks Ahmadabad the havoc was caused by rumors, patrikas writings on blackboards and provocative newspaper reports; recommended that the special branch of the Gujarat police needed to be reorganized. Bhiwandi, Maharashtra Jalgaon, Maharashtra Hindus traced the disturbances to the molestation of a married Hindu woman by some Muslim youth.. May 1970 17 Hindus, 59 Muslims 1 Hindu, 42 Muslims D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry the MTM and Rashtriya Utsav Mandal shared joint responsibility for the riots report held that there was no such incident. The Commission said that police officials with the help of some Hindus invented the story at a much later stage. The Congress was not far behind in spreading communal feelings. Most Congressmen participated directly or indirectly in the riots and called the Muslims anti-national. The Hindu Dharma Rakshak Samiti was formed at this time. Its members were largely middle class Hindus. Ahmedabad’s textile industry, which provided largescale employment opportunities for Hindus and Muslims, was facing a crisis, and there was strong rivalry between the Hindu and Muslim workers in this industry. The relief work that followed the riots was not efficient and the general attitude towards the riot victims was unsympathetic. 1,286 Muslims and 323 Hindus were arrested after the riot The day the riots occurred, 8th May, all the senior officers were out of town. Another immediate reason for the riot was a quarrel that took place at a pan shop at Rath Chowk between a Muslim and some Hindus. Year Location Communities/Organizations involved/Reasons riots broke out after the announcement of the Bhiwandi riots over All India Radio. in Nonari, the riots began on 15 November after Muslims murdered a Harijan leader; a crowd of 10,000 attacked Muslim houses and shops and started looting and arson. In Sajni on 12 December, a crowd of 5000 started looting and arson after a few Muslim boys tried to molest a Hindu Brahmin girl of another village. A Hindu boy, who was beaten up by the Muslims, saved the girl; rumor was spread the that the Hindu girl was raped riots started when students from the Anglo-Bengali College and young men from the adjoining locality of Muslim weavers clashed over the question of whether the spreading of yarn by weaver boys on a part of a playground was restricting the space available for students to play Casualties Dead Injured 9 Hindus, 6 Muslims Inquiry Commission D. P. Madan Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks May 1970 Mahad, Maharashtra criticized the political parties for exploiting communal feelings. in Nonari, 107 houses of Muslims were looted and 76 were set on fire November 1972 Nonari and Sajni, Uttar Pradesh October 1977 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh   Muslims were stabbed after being dragged out of a cinema hall and several injured The police instigated the riots by going to the Muslim locality and beating up the weavers. This led to a worsening of the situation and further clashes taking place. In another incident the police did not make proper arrangements when a Hindu procession was crossing a Muslim locality. The police, instead of firing at the miscreants in the stabbing incident, started firing on the Muslims. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 23 Hindus, 2 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks March 1978 Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh a big trading centre for smugglers and bootleggers. There was trade rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims who wanted to dispossess the Hindus of their property. Commerce in Aligarh revolves around the lock industry, which is owned by rich Muslims. But there is also the exploitation of the Muslim workers by these owners. Every time a riot occurs the lock owners come out as protectors of the Muslim workers and thereafter continue their exploitation of the workers. The Hindu traders, who are followers of the Jan Sangh, had control over the raw materials for the lock industry. The Hindu traders also benefited from the riots as they got possession of a little more territory by occupying the land of the victims, which they generally leave due to fear. 19 264 were arrested; Chenna Reddy, the then Chief Minster of the state, started addressing Ganesh processions, after this incident for political gains. October 1978 Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh immediate reason for this particular riot was the murder of a Hindu. A procession was led demanding the punishment of the murderer but violence erupted when the procession was crossing the Muslim populated area. During the riots the ruling party office bearers used strong-arm methods to secure the release of some antisocials arrested by the police as a preventive measure. a particular group started throwing stones on a Ganesh procession consisting of 2000 people. September 1978 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons a joint Ramnavmi procession passed through an area which had a significant population of both Muslims and adivasis. The local MLA played an active role in provoking the riots. Casualties Dead 120 killed, more than half were Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Jitendra Narain Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks April 1979 Jamshedpur, Bihar concluded that the RSS, with its extensive organization in Jamshedpur and close links with the BJP and the BMS, had a hand in creating a climate propitious for the outbreak of these disturbances. It further said that not a single Hindu was killed by the Bihar Military Police in 22 hours of firing resorted to by the police for quelling the riots. The population of Moradabad is evenly distributed between Hindus and Muslims. The town’s brassware industry is the main source of its income. Most of the artisans in the industry are Muslims, but the traders and exporters of the finished products are Hindus. There has been a long standing rivalry between the Muslims in this area and the Valmikis, traditionally sweepers. Constant clashes occur between them over land, and the straying of pigs into the Muslim locality. riots in Moradabad was followed by Biharsharif, Merrut, Baroda, Bhiwandi, Pune and Sholapur. The PAC played a communal role, and in one particular incident 15 Muslims were killed by the PAC. August 1980 Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh Id-prayers were disrupted 1500 to and scores of people, 2000 including many young children, died in a stampede at the Idgah. The riot occurred on this particular occasion when a police constable on duty refused to chase a pig when asked by Muslims in the Idgah. A number of Harijan slums and Muslim refugee camps were attacked.   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons a quarrel in a toddy shop owned by a Harijan. The trouble erupted in the Gagandiwan village having a majority Muslim population. There was also traditional rivalry between the Hindus and Muslims over a piece of land which both claimed as their own. dispute over a Shiv temple and a Mazaar in two adjoining buildings in the highly sensitive Shahghasa area Casualties Dead around 80 Injured Inquiry Commission Balasubraman ian Commission set up by the Bihar Government Result Remarks April 1981 Biharsharif, Bihar failure of the intelligence machinery and the District Administration misleading the higher authorities by not providing a correct assessment. The police did not take effective action to control the clash, which ended in rioting. The spread of false rumors affected the other villages in Biharsharif. The hold of the RSS and the Jammat-e-Islami in these areas further increased the violence September 1982 In the elections that took place before the riots, a Muslim MLA was elected, displacing the BJP candidate. Soon after, the riots broke out over a trivial issue. Outside forces, which included the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid and some BJP leaders joined the fray. The worst sufferers of the riots were the Ansaris, Muslim weavers. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons communal clashes occurred when the Dussera and Muharram coincided. The liquor traders from both communities looted and clashed with each other. The news of the transfer of the Hindu Police Commissioner due to pressure from the Muslim community spread like wild fire, and led to a worsening of the situation. The Hindu leaders used the opportunity to criticize the Islamic Muslims for opening an Islamic study centre in Baroda. 19 riots occurred in the city in a short span of 10 months. riots were sparked off by group rivalry between the Congress (I) MLA of Malur and the exCongress (I) MLA Casualties Dead 17 Injured 50 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks December 1982 Baroda, Gujarat After the 1969 communal riots, Baroda had witnessed a deliberate boycott of Muslim shops and establishments, which led to deterioration in the economic condition of the Muslims. There was also a rise of Islamic Fundamentalism and communal activities of the RSS and BJP. The illicit liquor trade was flourishing at that time in Baroda with a large number of shops selling local brands. Both Hindus and Muslims owned these shops. The constant competition among these shop owners often aggravated the situation. May 1983 Malur, Karnataka Three months before the riots a Harijan women was raped by three Muslim youths and it was the communal, rather than the criminal aspect of the problem, that received much importance. Soon, another incident of molestation of a Hindu girl by a Muslim boy took place. The RSS took full advantage of the situation, and instigated some militant Hindus to take revenge. Soon after, trouble erupted leading to large-scale damage to Muslim property. Communal disturbances in Malur were unknown before the advent of the RSS. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons The bursting of crackers before the Jama Masjid to celebrate the victory of the Indian Cricket team in the World Cup led to communal riots Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks June 1983 Malegaon, Maharashtra October 1983 Hazaribagh, Bihar procession led by Hindus turned violent after Muslims stopped it near the Jama Masjid trade rivalry between the Hindus and the Muslims is marked. The Muslim loom-owners sold only to Muslims, which affected the profits of Hindu traders. Cow slaughter is a sensitive issue, and Malegaon is the only district where 36 butchers had been convicted and imprisoned for three months for violating the Cow Slaughter Act. The situation worsened after the then Chief Minister, A.R.Antulay, floated the idea of constructing a martyr’s memorial to honour those who had lost their lives in the freedom struggle. The Malegaon authorities came up with names, all of which were Muslims. The Hindus objected to this on the grounds that these people had been involved in destroying temples. This issue had been responsible for escalating the tension in 1982. There was an agitation by the Muslims at that time also for dropping a chapter from the standard VIII history textbook where it was stated that the Prophet Mohammad fled to Mecca caused by negligence by the local authorities; while local political leaders persuaded the members of both the communities to start the Moharram procession and the Chaitra Ramnavmi procession to spread communal harmony, the actual intention of these leaders was to gain political advantage out of the situation. The Police inspite of being well aware of the situation did not take effective measures Year Location Communities/ Organizations involved/Reasons desecration of a mosque, followed by the call for a bandh by MIM (Muslim Itthadul Muslimeen) party. Casualties Dead 45 Injured 150 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks September 1983 Hyderabad May 1984 Bhiwandi, Maharashtra A Shivaji Jayanti 146 procession led to large scale communal violence; the ban on the Shivaji Jayanti procession after the 1970 riots was resented by the Shiv Sena. 611 October 1984 Delhi anti-Sikh riots broke out in Delhi and most parts of North India after the assassination of the then prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards 2733, mostly Sikhs Justice Jaggannath Misra Commission of Inquiry formed in 1985. In 1999, the Justice Nanavati Commission began its investigations. Jaggannath Misra Commission recommended that the Delhi administration investigate the conduct of the delinquent police The results of the Nanavati Inquiry Commission revealed that the police force played a vital role in instigating violence. The BJP, RSS, VHP and the MIM appeal to communal sentiments and raise communal tensions on the eve of elections and religious festivals. From 1979 to 1984 there have been constant communal clashes in the city. newspapers added further fuel to the communal violence by disclosing the identities of the victims. The Congress (I) and the TDP have formed electoral alliances with the MIM The Muslim population in Bhiwandi has increased considerably since 1970 and many of them set up their own powerloom industries, which was financed by Marwaris. Therefore, during the riots, the Marwari godowns were not destroyed in Muslim areas. The increase in the number of smugglers and underworld activities also led to communal tension. The number of Pakistani nationals staying illegally in the city was around one lakh according to the unofficial figures. The pattern of these riots showed that they were organized and planned against a particular community and the many senior Congress leaders were alleged to have participated in the anti-Sikh riots. The main accused in these riots were H.K.L.Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. All these senior Congress leaders were exonerated till the CBI on July 11, 2003 filed an appeal against a lower court which acquitted Sajjan Kumar. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons anti-reservation agitation Casualties Dead 300 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks April 1985 Ahmedabad city court in April 1986 pronounced the death sentence on five Muslims charged with the killing of 8 persons during the riots. There is large-scale poverty among the Harijans and the Muslims who primarily live in the slums of Ahmedabad. Therefore the Muslims and Harijans did not respond to a bandh called to protest the reservation policy by the upper caste leaders. This eventually led to the burning down of their houses and destruction of their property. July 1986 Ahmedabad violence broke out during the historic Rath Yatra procession through the walled city areas. Disturbances started after the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath was subjected to a heavy stone throwing barrage in the sensitive Dariapur and Kalupur localities   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 6, 75 Injured 40 Inquiry Commission Minority Commission headed by Shri N.C.Saxena Result Remarks April, May 1987 Meerut blamed the police for its biased attitude in its report and stated that the Hindu communal groups aggravated the situation. October 1989 Indore riots started after a Ramshila procession was stopped. After the Ramshila procession, a Muslim local leader with political ambitions took out a rally on the occasion of Milad-un Nabi, the Prophet’s day. The procession was passing through the streets of Indore when two explosions took place leading to confusion and then the riots broke out. 7 Hindus, 20 Muslims The PAC had killed a number of young men and thrown their bodies into a canal during these riots. The media however played a positive role in uncovering the communal role played by the PAC in killing innocent people. In April 1995 that the Mulayam Singh Government announced that the 19 guilty policemen would be prosecuted. The lower-middle class, the middle strata of the population had participated in large numbers in these riots, while large section of the Harijans attacked localities inhabited by the Muslims. In some areas the rioting was between the Harijans and Muslims. The mere presence of the PAC in Muslim majority mohallas created a feeling of insecurity among the Muslims, while Hindus wanted the deployment of PAC in their localities. There was a wave of communal violence that took place in Kota, Badaun, Bhagalpur, Ratlam, Mhow, Khargone, Khambat, Palanpur and several other places. result of communal politics played by the BJP, VHP and the RSS, and it is interesting that the v iolence occurred in Congress run states. The violence in Indore and other areas were the result of political rather than religious overtones. It was soon after this wave of violence started that elections were announced. Local factors also played a significant role in the emergence of violence. Muslims form 10% of the total population of Indore and are largely backward, both economically and socially, but the important fact is that the Hindus and the Muslims have different political loyalties which encouraged the BJP and the Congress leaders to exploit the situation to their benefit. Several Muslim families suffered from police excesses. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots broke out on the occasion of Anant Chaturdashi when Hindus took out a procession. The procession was marked by the participation of a number of Akhadas which were a part of the VHP, RSS and the Shiv Sena. Despite warnings the administration did not make proper arrangements at the time of the procession. riots occurred during the Ram Navami procession Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks September 1989 Kota, Rajasthan The Muslims in Kota are poor, except for the Bohra Muslims who are a business community. But a large number of Muslims from this area went to the Middle-East and became prosperous. Therefore the dependency relation between the Muslims and the Hindus was disrupted. Moreover, with the coming of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, controlled by the CPI (M), there have been more strikes and militant trade union actions. Thus, the relations between the Hindus and the Muslims ceased to be cordial from the late 70s itself. The Muslims suffered the most in the riots and among them the Dawoodi Bohras were the worst victimized. 4 Hindus, 13 Muslims. Bhadrak had a population of 70,000 Muslims at the time of the riots and two Muslim Congress leaders were popular in that area. The economy of Bhadrak was under the control of Marwaris and Oriya Hindus. But economically there was no competition between the Hindus and the Muslims. The Marwaris employ some Muslims and there is a long standing dispute between the employers and the workers on the revision of pay scales. During these riots the Muslims looted the Marwari shops and burnt them. The Muslims who had earlier voted for the Congress in the 80s switched their loyalties to the Janata Dal. The BJP was also trying at this time to get a strong hold in Orissa. Therefore it decided to take out Ram Navami processions in many places in the state. They took out a procession at Bhadrak too and surprisingly the police allowed it to pass through a Muslim locality. March 1989 Bhadrak, Orissa The mobilization campaign for Kar Sevaks to construct the proposed Ram Janma Bhoomi Temple at Ayodhya on 30th October 1990 aggravated the communal atmosphere in the country. Communal riots occurred in the wake of L.K.Advani’s Rath Yatra wherever it went.. These riots were led by RSS-BJP men to consolidate the‘Hindu’ vote bank. They were widespread over almost all the states from Assam to West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and D elhi. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons nearly 1400 communal incidents 120 riots Casualties Dead 224 38 Injured 775 170 Rioting, arson and looting was witnessed in Vyara and Bulsar towns of South Gujarat. The violence continued in Ahmedabad, Bapunagar, Baroda and Ankleshwar. 200 persons belonging to the minority community were detained under TADA, but among these there were no charges could be established against 178, nor any explosives or weapons recovered. 144 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks April to December 1990 January and April 1991 October 1990 Gujarat Gujarat Ahmedabad violence began soon after 41 the Rath Yatra was started from Somnath Rajasthan October 1990 October 1990 Jaipur Jodhpur, Rajasthan hate campaign organized 52 by the BJP since the Rath Yatra started from Somnath VHP, BJP and Bajrang 20 Dal called for a Jodhpur bandh to protest the arrest of L.K.Advani 100+ Uttar Pradesh >From the morning of the bandh, BJP leaders including MLAs terrorized a section of the people by using physical force and provocative slogans, which resulted in communal violence. The administration shielded the miscreants but adopted antiMuslim postures. Curfew was imposed in 49 districts Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons after the BJP chief started the Rath Yatra Casualties Dead 33 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October, 1990 Lucknow November 1990 Agra April-May 1990 Kanpur situation in the city was tense due to the Rath Yatra by L.K.Advani. The incident that led to riots was the stabbing of a scooter rider. 20 to 22 similar incidents occurred during the same time at different places. The city was a victim of communal riots thrice within a year. 31 mostly Muslims army had to be deployed. But despite its presence it became difficult to bring the situation under control and the riots became a regular feature for the next two months. The VHP leaders in the town were engaged in instigating communal sentiments. The city remained disturbed for nearly two months, despite the curfew imposed. 669 arrested. Communal violence resulted from a clash between mafia dons to establish a foothold in politics by communalizing incidents that resulted in violence. The city was tensed during this time due to the Rath Yatra organized by the BJP, RSS and VHP. Therefore communal riots could break out with slight provocation. But the riots that broke out in May were organized and planned. It started with the aggressive BJP stormtroopers taking out procession in Muslim dominated Lakkarmandi area and hurling abuses at the community. This was a followed by retaliation from few Muslims and four persons got killed. The next day disturbances began again due to a BJP meeting which was right in front of a thickly populated Muslim area. This led to communal riots and the police had no control over the mob. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons began in Chandni Chowk area when L.K. Advani’s Rath Yatra was passing through Casualties Dead 100+ Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 1990 Delhi October 1990 Hailakandi, Assam October 1990 Beawar, Maharashtra Hindus demanded a government plot for the construction of a Kali Temple which for a very long time was commonly owned by all the communities and used for all public functions. The District Magistrate, Halakandi at that time was a Muslim and the BJP exploited this factor to its own benefit. VHP and BJP gave a call for Baewar bandh to protest against the arrest of L.K.Advani 30 to 40 people who were participants of the rally attacked the Deputy Imam of the Fatehpuri Masjid. As soon as the news of the attack on the Imam spread to the other parts riots broke out in Lal Kuan and Jama Masjid Chowk Communal tension began to rise as soon as VHP, RSS and BJP organized pujas to purify the bricks for Shilayas at Ayodhya. The continuous migration of people from Bangladesh also instigates violence between the two communities In an effort to close Jai Mandir Cinema hall, a skirmish erupted between students and its employees. The RSS and BJP gave this small incident a communal angle. The administration formed peace committees to maintain communal harmony. The peace committees had representatives of various political parties and religious organization. These were the very people who instigated communal violence. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons RamjanmabhoomiMasjid controversy Casualties Dead Hindus, 896 Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 1989-90 Bhagalpur, Bihar Bhagalpur Communal Riots Inquiry Commission submitted its report after six years but the members was not unanimous in their findings of the riot. While two members of the commission blamed the BJP-VHP and the Muslim fundamentalists for the riots, the Chairman Commission held the Congress responsible. October 1990 November 1990 Patna Indore, Madhya Pradesh Rath Yatra organized by the BJP 18-100+ 7 Hindus, 6 Muslims 150 demand to set up an Inquiry Commission was rejected by the Chief Minister center for crime, and the politicization of crime. There are a large number of Muslims in and around Bhagalpur. Many Muslims are either weavers or in the powerloom business. Some Muslims are well-todo businessmen or property owners. The intelligence sources and the people were well aware of the likelihood of riots breaking out, but did not stop the Rath Yatra procession and allowed it to pass through a Muslim dominated area. There is intense rivalry between two factions of the Congress here, which is reflected through gang wars even before the riots. Gang rivalries emerged during the dispute between the Hindus and the Muslims in the celebration of their festivals. The Superintendent of Police played a blatant partisan role during the riots. Along with Bhagalpur city around 206 villages were affected. 3000 powerlooms were looted and burnt. 1100 Hindus and 900 Muslims arrested 7 houses and 5 shops burnt and 8 Mosques damaged; large scale damage to property. riots here continued for 5 d ays in which a Mosque was destroyed and a Temple desecrated. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Casualties Dead 60 Injured Inquiry Commission Interim Report an organization called the CFD 350 Result Remarks December 1990 Hassan, Mandya, Madikeri and Mysore, Karnataka Hyderabad Hyderabad the arrest of the BJP chief, L.K.Advani, in Bihar a fight between two gangs of land grabbers belonging to different communities; stabbing of a hawker boy blamed a local organization, the Hindu Yuva Sakti for the events leading to the riots After S.Banagarappa took over the Chief Ministership from Veerendra Patil, he formed a state level committee for bringing communal harmony BJP and RSS exploiting the Rath Yatra, Kar Seva and Ram Temple to ignite communal passions. The MIM too joined the fray. It was assumed that the killer must be Muslim, and soon 150 persons allegedly belonging to the Congress went on a stabbing spree. In this incident 20 Muslims were killed. The Majlis retaliated by killing migrant construction workers and each time a construction worker was killed, the BJP went on a procession with the body. This instigated further violence and the riots lasted for 10 days, The riots stopped after the resignation of the Chief Minister Chenna Reddy. a result of aggressive electioneering by the BJP; since the atmosphere was already tense this small incident was only an excuse to start the riots. The city once again witnessed communal frenzy on the occasion of Muharram. The frequent riots in the city are a result of communal politics. Moreover, the city is very congested with Hindus and the Muslims living almost in segregation. There is a high rate of unemployment, poverty and lack of education, which exacerbates the riots. October 1990 December 1990 April-July 1991 Baroda a boy was hit by an auto rickshaw   Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons Rioting began on Election Day when the Hindus allegedly prevented the Muslims from voting; In November the riots began with the Kali religious procession organized by Nav Sangh Club. Its members were divided into two groups, one of which was led by the BJP-VHP-RSS. When the procession entered a Muslim locality, slogans were shouted, and crackers were burst. Rumors spread that the idol was broken by the Muslims. Casualties Dead 50+ Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks MayNovember 1991 Benaras, UP In Benaras, a large number of Muslims are weavers and they suffered the most during the riots. The rioters were led by the PAC. Most of the Muslims are weavers though some have turned entrepreneurs and are prosperous. The present phase of riots in Benaras is also a result of the growing competition between the prosperous Muslim entrepreneurs and traditional Hindu traders. The police force in Benaras after the Ram Janmabhoomi episode was highly communalized. Between 1967 and 1991 Benaras witnessed 12 communal riots. In November 1991, Instead of the antisocial elements it was the police that looted and terrorized the Muslims. Communal riots erupted on the Election Day, because the BJP was upset that it would to lose the Meerut city seat. The Janata Dal candidate received the Muslim and Dalit votes while the BJP got the Hindu votes. There was thus a complete polarization of votes. The violence soon spread to 13 more villages in the area. May 1991 Baroda, UP 4 Hindus, 24 Muslims October 1992 Sitamarhi, Bihar a religious procession taken out by one community was stopped by another community Riots after the demolition of Babri Masjid Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons A bandh was called by a Muslim organization which did not have much of a following among the Muslims. The bandh was followed by the damaging of a dyeing mill and soon the situation deteriorated into a riot. Casualties Dead Less than 200, 95% Muslim Injured Surat has a considerable population of Muslims who are mainly into the trading business, and have a close business relationship with the Hindu traders which was the reason attributed for communal harmony in Surat. The unemployment level in the city was also low. But, from the late 80s, there was growing incidents of crime as migrant workers who are not rooted in its culture have settled in the city. The hate campaign by the RSS-BJP combine also added fuel to the situation. The Babri Masjid Action Committee and other Muslim leaders also played with the emotions of the Muslims. The atmosphere in Surat was tense and the Babri Masjid in cident provided the opportunity for organizations to start the riots. The manner in which large scale looting and burnings took place revealed that the riots were pre-planned. Inquiry Commission Result Remarks December 1992 Surat Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the repeated showing of the debris of the Babri Masjid by BBC instigated more violence; a Muslim mob attacked a temple which added to the fury 1993 – the Shiv Sena seemed to have been preparing for these riots Casualties Dead 400+ and 600+ mostly due to police firing and mostly Muslims Injured Inquiry Commission Justice Srikrishna Commission Result Remarks December 1992, January 1993 Bombay blamed the Shiv Sena chief, Bal Thakeray and Sena activists for the riots. It blamed them for their ‘political role’ in fomenting communal frenzy and organizing attacks on Muslims. On the role of the Congress government in the State, the Commission observed that inefficient political leadership, vacillation for political reasons and conflicting orders issued to the Commissioner of Police resulted in a dilemma to shoot or not to shoot. 30,000 Muslims were displaced. On 9th December mobs of Hindu men entered Muslim homes, ransacked their belongings, often killing a family member. The main victims during these riots were the poor Muslims and also the middle-class Muslims of BHEL township of Bhopal. The state government was not able to provide the adequate security to the people and the police also played a vital role in aggravating the situation. December 1992 Bhopal 143, majority Muslims Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons A blast in the Hindu Munnani office in Madras Casualties Dead 4 Injured Inquiry CommissionResult Remarks March 1995 Madras April, 1995 Chitradurga, Karnataka Kerala April 1995 a quarrel between two groups of bus agents belonging to two different communities Riots broke out between Christians and Muslims. visit by members of the National Minorities Commission The bomb was planted by a Muslim youth who was also responsible for planting a bomb in the RSS office in August 1993 when 13 people were killed. The Munani was targeted because of a provocative speech delivered by its State President, Rama Gopalan. There was a powerful blast in Rameshwaram where a BJP activist was also stabbed to death; over the years, there has been an increase in the activities of the RSS-VHP. The Muslim population in the state is quite prosperous as compared to Muslims in other states but again with an increase in the flow of Middle East money there has also been an increase in the Muslim fundamentalist activities in many parts of the state. The state has become communally sensitive after the BJP expanded its political base here. It did not have a past history of communal riots A place of worship was damaged in the riots and fishing equipment worth several lakhs destroyed The Muslims alleged that the police were a silent spectator. One of the Samajwadi Party leade rs alleged that the violence was designed to punish the SP workers by the Mayawati government. Though the village Rajputs supported defusing the conflict, the attitude of the village head was instrumental in instigating the violence. June 1995 Rankhandi, UP Hindus objected to the construction of a mosque. After the Mosque was finally constructed, a crowd collected and destroyed it 1 in police firing   Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons four Muslims were killed in a quarrel over a boundary wall Communal clashes occurred on the occasion of Ganapati procession Casualties Dead 5 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks July 1995 Palmau, Bihar September 1995 Madras and Hyderabad 2 in Hyderaba d 100+ January 1998 Kanpur an attack on the Imam of a mosque; the protests following it turned to clashes between Hindus and Muslims February 1998 Ajmer, Rajasthan alleged to have been started by some communal element among the shopkeepers outside the Dargah of Ajmer Sharif local police in the State are highly communalized and the corrupt state of affairs further aids in the occurrence of communal violence In Madras stones were pelted on Muslims who were offering prayers in a Mosque. It was alleged that the Hindu Munnani leaders had a hand in the clash. The riots in Hyderabad were more serious due to a past history of communal riots in the state. The police claimed that the clashes were an outcome of the Lok Sabha elections which were to take place. Kanpur has also been communally volatile in the past and in the recent years, with the organization of rallies and processions by the BJP the number of such incidents has increased further. The city has a large population of Muslims and the riot was. There are shops owned by the majority community outside the Dargah but houses are of the minority community, and miscreants set these shops and houses alight. A memorandum presented to the Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral alleged that the police entered the Dargah with their shoes on and lathi charged the people offering prayers and also fired in the air. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots followed the blasts that killed 60 people it was alleged that the blasts were organized by the al-Ummah and alJihad organizations, aided and abetted by the ISI Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission P.R.Gokulakri shna Commission of Inquiry Result Remarks February 1998 Coimbatore a definite lapse on the part of the police personnel, deputed for surveillan e and checks, who ought to have discharged their duties more rigorously, vigilantly and intelligently. May 1998 Moradabad, University Press Rioting broke out after an acid bottle was thrown on the ‘taziah’ procession allegedly by BJP supporters riots started when a Muslim mob coming out of a Mosque near the Charminar in the old city went berserk and attacked shops in the area. The trouble began after the circulation of an anonymously produced pamphlet lampooning the religious sentiments of Muslims June 1998 Hyderabad The target of the attack was allegedly L.K.Advani who was to address an election meeting in the city. The police arrested some 500 people in connection with these blasts. Coimbatore had witnessed communal riots in 1997 as well and the Hindu Munnani activists were alleged to have played a key role in those riots. While L.K.Advani escaped the attack, BJP got a lot of sympathy votes. Coimbatore has also been a center of Muslim fundamentalist activities and the BJP has been trying to expand its political base in the city. Around 80 people were arrested including several political leaders who tried to visit the riot affected areas. The Moradabad riots took a serious turn mainly due to the alleged involvement of the political parties. the army was alerted and the Union Home Ministry was urged to send the Para-military force. There were different reasons given for the occurrence of the riots but all pointed the responsibility of the different political parties. An ex-mayor of the city who w as accused of distributing these pamphlets surrendered, and there were five more arrests made in this connection. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists terrorized the Muslim community over some Muslim boys marrying tribal girls Casualties Dead 2 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks July 1998 Bardoli and Sanjeli, Gujarat October 1998 Nalanda and clashes erupted over the Mungher, Bihar issue of immersion of the Durga idol in the Katrapar locality in Nalanda Ahwa and the BJP and Bajrang Dal Dang districts, attacked Christian Gujarat churches Suratkul, Karnataka Manoharpur, Orissa an eve-teasing incident involving a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl Graham Staines, an Australian-born Christian Missionary was burnt alive along with his two children by VHP activists led by Dara Singh The VHP consider the tribals as Hindus and held ‘dharma sabhas’ in these villages. After every such event, Muslim shops were looted and burnt. The police was asked to stay away and threatened with being transferred. Marriages between Hindu girls and Muslim boys are opposed by these organizations and Christians too have come under attack in many parts of Gujarat. Some 200 copies of the Bible were burnt by the Sangh Parivar activists claiming that they were a means to convert the people. The leaders of various political parties tried to gain political mileage out of the incident. In Munger, 27 people including three policemen were injured. Though a peace committee was constituted by the state home minister, the committee members traded charges and Christians were even accused by the members of being ‘naxalites’. The riots continued in January the following year and were encouraged by the Hindu Jagran Vedike After the Babri Masjid attack when the VHP and Bajran g Dal could not attract the support of the masses, they started following a new strategy by attacking churches. December 1998 January 1999   CM JH.Patel ordered an inquiry The Wadhwa Commission concluded that Dara Singh was responsible for the killings, but did not see the hand of any other communal organization. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots broke out after two people were killed on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti and Idul Fitr. Riots broke out again in July after an Indo-Pak cricket match Casualties Dead 1 Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks January-July 1999 Ahmedabad July 1999 Harda, MP September 1999 December 1999 Surat Auranagabad December 2000 Kolhapur, Karnataka a communal mob confronted the police and the Deputy Superintendent of police was killed. violence broke out during the Ganapati festival a procession of Muslims and the Samajwadi party members to mark the seventh anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid was lathi- charged by the police riots broke out when some people of the minority community did not close their shops after a bandh was called by the Shiv Sena over the killing of an Army Jawan in a bomb explosion in Kashmir – 29 – In the second incident, there was an organized attempt to distribute crackers among the youngsters. The cricket match incident was followed by the Kargil war, when demonstrations were held against Pakistan in which both Hindus and Muslims participated. However, in many demonstrations objectionable slogans were raised. Curfew was clamped in the area and the violence continued for a couple of days. About 90 persons were arrested in this connection. 27 government ordered a judicial enquiry The riots were a result of a dispute over the route to be taken by the procession The Shiv Sena had flooded the whole area with saffron flags just before the riots. Several journalists were injured in the police lathicharge. The police had also permitted the Shiv Sena to organize a religious ceremony just before the riots broke out. The shops which did not close were stoned by a 10,000 strong crowd. a few injured Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons after the Jama Masjid was gutted due to a short circuit Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission Result Remarks January 2001 Kishtwar, Jammu March 2001 March, 2001 Nalanda, Bihar Kanpur two groups clashed on the occasion of Holi in Shambhu village the protest march taken out by the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) over the burning of a copy of the Quran turned violent The state came under the spell of communal politics after the emergence of the Jamaat-i-Islami which began as a cultural organization. After it won 5 seats in the Assembly elections, it started showing its communal colors. There are many other communal organizations that have come up now in Kashmir and terrorist activities further encourage communal violence. Over the years the BJP has also gained some political mileage in the state. Superintendent of Police brought the situation under control The procession was fired upon by the PAC killing 12 persons, all young Muslim boys. The PAC was itself a party to the looting that followed. The SIMI has spread communal poison over the years and instigated the minds of Muslim youths through provocative posters. In spite of its controversial role the PAC is deployed as soon as a disturbance emerges. The procession was taken out to demand the arrest of people who were involved in the construction of a religious structure in a village near by. April 2001 Beawar, Rajasthan a VHP-BJP procession was stoned and miscreants threw bottles of acid on it Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons violence erupted after the murder of a youth belonging to the minority community following an incident of eve teasing Casualties Dead Injured Inquiry Commission ResultRemarks June 2001 Chamrajnagar, Mysore Jamner, Maharashtra June 2001 July 2001 Moradabad, UP a gang of miscreants attacked the houses of the minority community August 2001 August 2001 Amravani, Maharashtra Ahmedabad October 2001 Malegaon, Maharashtra Shiv Sainiks attacked Muslims who were taking their oxen for slaughter hawkers belonging to the minority community were beaten up in the Maninagar area. arrest of a Muslim youth distributing pamphlets outside a Mosque 2 1 in police firing 30 10, including 4 policemen several 12 persons were taken into custody after the riots. Arson and looting took place on a large scale but there was no loss of life. Many people came out into the streets carrying swords and began looting and burning property. The population of Muslims in this town happens to be quite substantial, whereas Sarpanch and the MLA both belonged to the BJP. Those involved in the looting and arson fled the town and were not arrested even several days after the incidents. no one was arrested. The police said that the motive behind the clashes could have been robbery. But, a deputation of the Jamait-ul-Ulema visited the village and refuted the police theory, because those killed were very poor and had hardly anything in their houses worth robbing. The police arrested 70 persons in this connection. Four Bajrang Dal activists were arrested for inciting violence. 13, including 3 in police firing Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons the burning at Godhra, of a coach of the Sabarmati express which was coming from Ayodhya, carrying kar sevaks Casualties Dead 2000+ Injured Inquiry Commission More than 30 reports have been prepared by various committees. On March 6, 2002, inquiry committee under Justice (Rtd.) KG Shah and Justice Nanavati established Result Remarks February, 2002 Ahmedabad, Gujarat Their common finding has been that it was a one-sided carnage and not a riot in the usual sense. The violence continued for about a month. The administration as well as the government did nothing to control the violence and right-wing organizations like the VHP and Bajrang Dal got full support in spreading violence. The Modi government benefited from all this as the BJP won the Assembly elections in December, 2002. February 2002 Kaithal, Haryana linked to the Gujarat violence March 2002 March 2002 Bhivani district, a mob of 300 persons Haryana were incited by rumors of cow slaughter Rajasthan violence occurred on the occasion of Muharram. The immediate reason for the violence was the organization of a yagna in a temple by the VHP, BJP and Bajrang Dal Mobs pulled down a Mosque and considerable damage was done to property. The police made feeble attempts to stop the mob, which later demolished the Macesoleum of Pir Nurani Badshah and extensively damaged three others. two mosques and 15 shops and houses belonging to the Muslims were attacked The population of the area comprises 25 percent Muslims and was once considered to be a stronghold of the SIMI. Year Location Communities/Organizati ons involved/Reasons riots began when some Muslim organizations led by the Muslim Vikas Parishad gave the call for a bandh to protest against a Christian Baptist priest in the US describing the Prophet as a terrorist Celebrations over India’s win against Pakistan in the World Cup turned violent Casualties Dead 9 Injured 115 Inquiry Commission Result Remarks October 2002 Sholapur, Maharashtra The protestors went in procession after prayers on Friday afternoon and threw stones at a Navratri pandal. The Hindus retaliated and riots broke out.. 500 arrested. March 2003 Gujarat 1 in Gujarat 9 several elsewhere several Similar incidents also took place in Vadodara, Gorakhpur, Gajrawadi, Kolkata and Bangalore Marad was a case of planned attack when some well armed men came and killed members of a particular community. May 2003 Marad, Kerala About the Author B Rajeshwari is a Research Scholar at the Center for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is writing her MPhil dissertation titled â€Å"Power, Knowledge and Globalisation – A Case Study of TRIPS.† Her research interests include issues relating to Communal Violence, Governance and Development. Currently she is Research Assistant at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 16

After that, things happened very fast, and at the same time with a dreamy slowness. Mary-Lynnette felt her arms grabbed from behind. Something was pulling her hands together-somethingstrong. Then she felt the bite of cord on her wrists, and she realized what was happening. Tied up-I'm going to be helpless-I've got todosomething fast†¦. She fought, trying to wrench herself away, trying to kick. But it was already too late. Her hands were secure behind her back-and some part of her mind noted distantly that no wonder people on cop shows yell when they're handcuffed. Ithurt. Her shoulders gave a shriek of agony as she was dragged backward up against a tree. â€Å"Stop fighting,† a voice snarled. A thick, distorted voice she didn't recognize. She tried to see who it was, but the tree was in the way. â€Å"If you relax itwon't hurt.† . Mary-Lynnette kept fighting, but it didn't make any difference. She could feel the deeply furrowedbark of the tree against her hands and back-and now she couldn't move. Oh, God, oh, God-1 can't get away. Iwas alreadyweak from what Ash and I did-and now I can't move at all. Then stop panicking andthink, her inner voice said fiercely. Use your brain instead of getting hysterical. Mary-Lynnette stopped struggling. She stood panting and tried to get control of her terror. â€Å"I told you. It only hurts when you fight. A lot of things are like that,† the voice said. Mary-Lynnette twisted her head and saw who it was. Her heart gave a sick lurch. She shouldn't havebeen surprised, but she was-surprised and infi nitely disappointed. â€Å"Oh, Jeremy,† she whispered. Except that it was a different Jeremy than the one she knew. His face was the same, his hair, his clothes-but there was something weird about him, something powerful and scary and †¦unknowable. His eyes were as inhuman and flat as a shark's. â€Å"I don't want to hurt you,† he said in that distorted stranger's voice. â€Å"I only tied you up because I didn't want you to interfere.† Mary-Lynnette's mind was registering different things in different layers. One part said, MyGod, he's trying to be friendly, and another part said, Tointerferewith what? and a third part just kept saying Ash. She looked at Ash. He was lyingverystill, andMary-Lynnette's wonderful new eyes that could seecolors in moonlight saw that his blond hair was slowly soaking with blood. On the ground beside himwas a club made of yew – made of the hard yellow sapwood. No wonder he was unconscious. But if he's bleeding he's not dead-oh, God, please,he can'tbe dead-Rowan said that only staking and burning kill vampires†¦. â€Å"I have to take dare of him,† Jeremy said. â€Å"And then I'll let you go, I promise. Once I explain everything, you'll understand.† Mary-Lynnette looked up from Ash to the strangerwith Jeremy's face. With a shock, she realized what he meant by â€Å"take care of.† Three words that were just part of life to a hunterto a werewolf. So now I know about werewolves. They're killers and I was right all along. I was right and Rowan was wrong. â€Å"It'll only take a minute,† Jeremy said-and hislips drew back. Mary-Lynnette's heart seemed to slam violently inside her chest. Because his lips went farther up than any human's lips could. She could see his gums, whitish-pink. And she could see why his voice didn't sound like Jeremy's-it was his teeth. White teeth in the moonlight. The teeth from herdream. Vampire teeth were nothing compared to this. The incisors at the front were made for cutting fleshfrom prey, the canines were two inches long, the teeth behind them looked designed for slicing and shearing. Mary-Lynnette suddenly remembered-somethingVic Kimble's father had said three years ago. He'd said that a wolf could snap off the tail of a full-grown cow clean as pruning shears. He'd been complaining that somebody had let a wolf-dog crossbreed looseand it was going after his cattle†¦. Except that of course it wasn't a crossbreed, Mary-Lynnette thought. It was Jeremy. I saw him everyday at school-and then he must have gone hometo look like this. Tohunt. Just now, as he stood over Ash with his teeth all exposed and his chest heaving, Jeremy looked completely, quietly insane. â€Å"But why?† Mary-Lynnette burst out.†Whydo youwant to hurt him?† Jeremy looked up-and she got another shock. His eyes were different. Before she'd seen them flash white in the darkness. Now they had no whites at all. They were brown with large liquid pupils. Theeyes of an animal. So it doesn't need to be a full moon, she thought. He can change anytime. â€Å"Don't you know?† he said. â€Å"Doesn't anybody understand?This ismy territory.† Oh.Oh †¦ So it was as simple as that. After all their brainstorming and arguing and detective work. In the end it was something as basic as an animal protectingits range. â€Å"For a hunting range, it is small,† Rowan had said. â€Å"They were taking my game,† Jeremy said. â€Å"My deer, my squirrels. They didn't have any right to dothat. I tried to make them leave-but they wouldn't.They stayed and they kept killing†¦.† He stopped talking-but a new sound came fromhim. It started out almost below the range of MaryLynnette's hearing-but the deep rumbling of itstruck some primal chord of terror in her. It was asuncanny and inhuman as the danger-hum of an at tacking swarm of bees. Growling. He was growling. And it wasreal.The snarling growl a dog makes that tells you to turn and run. The sound it makes before it springs at yourthroat†¦. â€Å"Jeremy!† Mary-Lynnette screamed. She threwherself forward, ignoring the white blaze of pain in her shoulders. But the cord held. She was jerked back. And Jeremy fell on Ash, lunging down, head darting forward like a striking snake, like a biting dog, like every animal that kills with its teeth. Mary-Lynnette heard someone screaming â€Å"No!†and only later realized that it was her. She was fight ing with the cord, and she could feel stinging and wetness at her wrists. But she couldn't get free andshe couldn't stop seeing what was happening in frontof her. And all the time that eerie, vicious growling that reverberated in Mary-Lynnette's own head and chest. That was when things went cold and dear. Some part of Mary-Lynnette that was stronger than the panic took over. It stepped back and looked at the entire scene by the roadside: the car, which was still burning, sending clouds of choking white smokewhenever the wind blew the right way; the limpfigure of Ash on the pine needles; the blur of snarling motion that was Jeremy. â€Å"Jeremy!† she said, and her throat hurt, but hervoice was calm-and commanding. â€Å"Jeremy-before you do that-don't you want me tounderstand? You said that was what you wanted. Jeremy,help me understand.† For a long second she thought in dismay that it wasn't going to work. That he couldn't even hear her. But then his head lifted. She saw his face; she saw the blood on his chin. Don't scream, don't scream, Mary-Lynnette toldherself frantically. Don't show any shock. You have to keep him talking, keep him away from Ash. Behind her back her hands were working automatically, as if trying to get out of ropes was something they'd always known how to do. The slick wetness actually helped. She could feel the cords slide a little. â€Å"Please help me understand,† she said again, breathless, but trying to hold Jeremy's eyes. â€Å"I'm your friend-you know that. We go back a long way.† Jeremy's whitish gums were streaked with red. He still had human features, but there was nothing at all human about that face. Now, though-slowly-his lips came down tocover his gums. He looked more like a person andless like an animal. And when he spoke, his voicewas distorted, but she could recognize it as Jere my's voice. â€Å"We do go back,† he said. â€Å"I've watched you sincewe were kids-and I've seen you watching me.† Mary-Lynnette nodded.She couldn'tgetany words out. â€Å"I always figured that someday, when we wereolder-maybe we'd be together. I thought maybe I could make you understand. About me. About everything. I thought you were the one person who might not be afraid†¦.† â€Å"I'm not,† Mary-Lynnette said, and hoped hervoice wasn't shaking too badly. She was saying it to a figure in a blood-spattered shirt crouching over a torn body like a beast still ready to attack. MaryLynnette didn't dare look at Ash to see how badly hewas hurt. She kept her eyes locked on Jeremy's. â€Å"And I think I can understand. You killed Mrs. Burdock, didn't you? Because she was on your territory.† â€Å"Nother; † Jeremy said, and his voice was sharpwith impatience. â€Å"She was just an old lady-she didn't hunt. I didn't mind having her in my range. Ieven did things for her, like fixing her fence andporch for free†¦. And that's when she told methey were coming. Those girls.† Just the way she told me, Mary-Lynnette thought, with dazed revelation. And he was there fixing the fence-of course. The way he does odd jobs for everybody. â€Å"I told her it wouldn't work.† Mary-Lynnette couldhear it again-the beginnings of a snarling growl. Jeremy was tense and trembling, and she could feel her self start to tremble, too. â€Å"Three more hunters in thislittle place †¦ I told her, but she wouldn't listen. She couldn't see. So then I lost my temper.† Don't look at Ash, don't call attention to him, Mary-Lynnette thought desperately. Jeremy's lips were drawing back again as if he needed something to attack. At the same time the distant part of hermind said, So that's why he used a picket=Ash was right;it was an impulse of the moment. â€Å"Well, anybody can lose their temper,† she said, and even though her voice cracked and there were tears in her eyes, Jeremy seemed to calm a little. â€Å"Afterward, I thought maybe it was for the best,† he said, sounding tired. â€Å"I thought when the girls found her, they'd know they had to leave. I waited for them to do it. I'm good at waiting.† He was staring past her, into the woods. Heart pounding, Mary-Lynnette grabbed the opportunity todart a look at Ash. Oh, God, he's not moving at all. And there's so muchblood†¦.I've never seen so much blood†¦. She twisted her wrists back and forth, trying to find some give in the cords. â€Å"I watched, but they didn't go away,† Jeremy said.Mary-Lynnette's eyes jerked back to him. â€Å"Instead youcame. I heard Mark talking to Jade in the garden. She said she'd decided she was going to like it here. And then †¦ I got mad. I made a noise and they heard me.† His face was changing. The flesh was actually moving in front of Mary-Lynnette's eyes. His cheekbones were broadening, his nose and mouth jutting. Hairwas creeping between his eyebrows, turning them into a straight bar. She couldsee individual coarse hairs sprouting, dark against pale skin. I'm going to be sick†¦. â€Å"What's wrong, Mary-Lynnette?† He got up and she saw that his body was changing, too. It was stilla human body, but it was too thin-stretched out.As if it were just long bones and sinews. â€Å"Nothing's wrong,† Mary-Lynnette got out in a whisper. She twisted violently at her cords-and felt one hand slide. That's it. Now keep him distracted, keep him moving away from Ash†¦. â€Å"Go on,† she said breathlessly. â€Å"What happenedthen?† â€Å"I knew I had to send them a message. I cameback the next night for the goat-but you were there again. You ran away from me into the shed.† Hemoved closer again and the moonlight caught his eyes-and reflected. The pupils shone greenish-orange. Mary-Lynnette could only stare. That shadow in the clearing-those eyes I saw. Nota coyote.Him.He was following us everywhere. The very thought made her skin creep. But there was another thought that was worsethe picture of him killing the goat. Doing it carefully, methodically-as a message. That was why he didn't eat the heart and liver,Mary-Lynnette realized. He didn't kill it for foodit wasn't a normal werewolf killing. And he's not a normal werewolf. He wasn't at all like what Rowan had described-a noble animal that hunted to eat. Instead he was †¦ a mad dog. Of all people,Ash had it right. Him and his jokes about rabies †¦ â€Å"You're so beautiful, you know,† Jeremy said suddenly. â€Å"I've always thought that. I love your hair.† He was right in her face. She could see the individual pores in his skin with coarse hairs growing out of them. And she couldsmellhim-the feral smell ofa zoo. He reached out to touch her hair, and his handhad dark, thick fingernails. Mary-Lynnette could feelher eyes getting wider. Say something †¦say some thing †¦ don't show you're afraid. â€Å"You knew how Mrs. Burdock's husband was killed,† she got out. â€Å"She told me a long time ago,† Jeremy said almost absently, still moving his fingers in her hair. He'd changed so much that his voice was getting hard to understand. â€Å"I used little sticks from my models †¦you know I make models. And a black iris forhim.Ash.† Jeremy said the name with pure hatred. â€Å"I saw him that day with his stupid T-shirt. The Black IrisClub . . . my uncle belonged to that once. Theytreated him like he was second-class.† His eyes were inches from Mary-Lynnette's; she felt the brush of a fingernail on her ear. Suddenlyshe had the strength to give a violent wrench behind her back-and one hand came free. She froze, afraid that Jeremy would notice. â€Å"I threw the goat on the porch and ran,† Jeremysaid, almost crooning the words as he petted MaryLynnette. â€Å"I knew you were all in there. I was somad-I killed that horse and I kept running. I smashed the gas station window. I was going to bum it downbut then I decided to wait.† Yes,and yes, and yes, Mary-Lynnette thought, even as she carefully worked her other wrist free,even as she stared into Jeremy's crazy eyes andsmelled his animal breath. Yes, of course it was youwe heard running away-and you didn't fall into the hole in the porch because you knew it was there, because you were fixing it. And yes, you were the one who smashed the window-who else would hate the gas station but somebody who worked there? 0Her fingers eased the cord off her other wrist. She felt a surge of fierce triumph-but she controlled her expression and clenched her hands, trying to thinkof what to do. He was so strong and so quick †¦ if she just threw herself at him, she wouldn't have a chance. â€Å"And today you all came to town together,† Jeremy said, finishing the story quietly, through a mouth so inhuman it was hard to believe it could speak English. â€Å"I heard the wayhe was talking toyou. I knew he wanted you-and he wanted to change you into one of them. I had to protect you from that.† Mary-Lynnette said almost steadily, â€Å"I knew youwanted to protect me. I could tell, Jeremy.† She was feeling over the furrowed hemlock bark behind her.How could she attack him when she didn't even have a stick for a weapon? And even if shehad,wood was no good. He wasn't a vampire. Jeremy stepped back. Relief washed over Mary-Lynnette-for one second. Then she saw with horror that he was plucking at his shirt, pulling it off. And underneath †¦there was no skin. Instead there was hair. A pelt that twitched and shivered in the night air. â€Å"I followed you here and I fixed your car so you couldn't leave,† Jeremy said. â€Å"I heard you say youwanted to be a vampire.† â€Å"Jeremy-that was justtalk†¦.† He went on as if she hadn't spoken. â€Å"But that was a mistake. Werewolves are much better. You'll understand when I show you. The moon looks so beautiful when you're a wolf.† Oh,Godand so that was what he meant by pro tecting her, by making her understand. He meant changing her into something like him. I need a weapon. Rowan had said silver was harmful to werewolves,so the old silver-bullet legend must be true. But she didn't haveasilver bullet. Or even a silver dagger †¦ A silver dagger†¦ a silverknife †¦ Behind Jeremy the station wagon was almost invisible in the clouds of smoke. And by now the smoke had the red glow of uncontrolled fire. It's too dangerous, Mary-Lynnette thought. It'sabout to go. I'd never make it in and out†¦. Jeremy was still talking, his voice savage now.†You won't miss the Night World. All their stupid restrictions-no killing humans, no hunting too often. Nobody tells me how to hunt. My uncle tried,but I took care of him-â€Å" Suddenly the creature-it wasn't really a personanymore-broke off and turned sharply. Mary-Lynnette saw its lips go back again, saw its teeth parted and ready to bite. In the same instant she sawwhy-Ash was moving. Sitting up, even though his throat was cut. Lookingaround dazedly. He saw Mary-Lynnette, and his eyes seemed to focus. Then he looked at the thing Jeremy had become. â€Å"You-get away from herl† he shouted in a voiceMary-Lynnette had never heard before. A voice filledwith deadly fury. Mary-Lynnette could see himchange position in a swift, graceful motion, gathering his muscles under him to jump But the werewolf jumped first. Springing like ananimal-except that Jeremy still had arms, and onehand went for the yew club. The club smashed sideways into Ash's head and knocked him flat. And then it fell, bouncing away on the carpet of needles. The werewolf didn't need it-it was baring itsteeth. It was going to tear Ash's throat out, like the horse, like the hiker †¦ Mary-Lynnette was running. Not toward Ash. She couldn't help him barehanded. She ran toward the car, into the clouds of choking smoke. Oh, God, it's hot. Please let me just get there†¦. She could feel the heat on her cheeks, on her arms. She remembered something from an elementary school safety class and dropped to her knees, scrambling and crawling where the air was cooler. And then she heard the sound behind her. The most eerie sound there is-a wolf howling. It knows what I'm doing. It's seen that knife everytime I pry off my gas cap. It's going to stop me†¦. She threw herself blindly into the smoke and heat,and reached the car. Orange flames were shooting crazily from the engine, and the door handle burnedher hand when she touched it. She fumbled, wrenching at it. Open,open†¦ The door swung out. Hot air blasted around her. If she'd been completely human she wouldn't havebeen able to stand it. But she'd exchanged blood withfour vampires in two days, and she wasn't completely human anymore. She wasn't Mary-Lynnette any more †¦but was she capable of killing? Flames were licking up beneath the dashboard. Shegroped over smoking vinyl and shoved a hand under the driver's seat. Find it! Find it! Her fingers touched metal-the knife. The silverfruit knife with the Victorian scrolling that she'd borrowed from Mrs. Burdock. It was very hot. Her handdosed on it, and she pulled it from under the seatand turned †¦ just as something came flying at her from behind. The turning was instinctive-she had to face whatwas attacking her. But what she would always know afterward was that she could have turned withoutpointing theknife at what was attacking her. There was a moment in which she could have slanted it backward or toward the ground or toward herself. And if she'd been the Mary-Lynnette of the old days,she might have done that. She didn't. The knife faced outward. Toward the shape jumping at her. And when the thing landed on top of her she felt impact in her wrist and all theway up her arm. The distant part of her mind said, It went in cleanlybetween the ribs†¦. And then everything was very confused. Mary-Lynnette felt teeth in her hair, snapping for her neck. She felt claws scratching at her, leaving welts on her arms. The thing attacking her was hairy and heavy and it wasn't a person or even a half-person. It was a large, snarling wolf. She was still holding the knife, but it was hard to keep her grip on it. It jerked around, twisting her wrist in an impossible direction. It was buried in the wolf's chest. For just an instant, as the thing pulled away, she got a good look at it. A beautiful animal. Sleek and handsome, but withcrazy eyes. It was trying to kill her with its last panting breath. Oh, God, you hate me, don't you? I've chosen Ashover you; I've hurt you with silver. And now you're dying. You must feel so betrayed†¦. Mary-Lynnette began to shake violently. She couldn't do this anymore. She let go of the knife and pushed and kicked at the wolf with her arms andlegs. Half scrambling and half scooting on her back, she managed to get a few feet away. The wolf stood silhouetted against a background of fire. She couldsee it gather itself for one last spring at her There was a very soft, contained poof. The entirecar lurched like something in agony-and then the fireball was everywhere. Mary-Lynnette cringed against the ground, halfblinded, but she had to watch. So that's what it looks like. A car going up inflames. Not the kind of big explosion you hear in the movies. Justa poof. And then just the fire, going up and up. The heat drove her away, still crawling, but she couldn't stop looking. Orange flames. That was allher station wagon was now. Orange flames shooting every which way out of a metal skeleton on tires. The wolf didn't come out of the flames. Mary-Lynnette sat up. Smoke was in her throat,and when she tried to yell â€Å"Jeremyl† it came out as a hoarse croak. The wolf still didn't come out. And no wonder, with a silver knife in its chest and fire all around it. Mary-Lynnette sat, arms wrapped around herself,and watched the car bum. He would have killed me. Like any good hunter. I had to defend myself, I had to save Ash. And thegirls †¦ he would have killed all of them. And thenhe'd have killed more people like that hiker†¦. He was crazy and completelyevil, because he'd do anything to get what he wanted. And she'd seen it from the beginning. Somethingunder that â€Å"nice guy† exterior-she'd seen it over and over, but she'd kept letting herself get convinced it wasn't there. She should have trusted her feelingsin the first place. When she'd realized that she'dsolved the mystery of Jeremy Lovett and that it wasn't a happy ending. She was shaking but she couldn't cry. The fire roared on. Tiny sparks showered upward. I don't care if it was justified. It wasn't like killingin my dream. It wasn't easy and it wasn't naturaland I'll never forget the way he looked at me†¦. Then she thought,Ash. She'd been so paralyzed she'd almost forgotten him. Now she turned around, almost too frightened to look. She made herself crawl over to where he was still lying. So much blood†¦ how can he be all right? But if he's dead †¦ if it's all been for nothing †¦ But Ash was breathing. And when she touched hisface, trying to find a clean place in the blood, he moved. He stirred, then he tried to sit up. â€Å"Stay there.† Jeremy's shirt and jeans were on the ground. Mary-Lynnette picked up the shirt and dabbed at Ash's neck. â€Å"Ash, keep still†¦.† He tried to sit up again. â€Å"Don't worry. I'll protectyou.† â€Å"Lie down,† Mary-Lynnette said. When he didn't, she pushed at him. â€Å"There's nothing to do. He's dead.† He sank back, eyes shutting. â€Å"Did I kill him?† Mary-Lynnette made a choked sound that wasn't exactly a laugh. She was trembling with relief-Ash could breathe and talk, and he even sounded like hisnormal fatuous self. She'd had no idea how good thatcould sound. And underneath the swabbing shirt she could see that his neck was already healing. Whathad been gashes were becoming flat pink scars. Vampire flesh was incredible. Ash swallowed. â€Å"You didn't answer my question.† â€Å"No. You didn't kill him. I did.† His eyes opened. They just looked at each other for a moment. And in that moment Mary-Lynnette knew they were both realizing a lot of things. Then Ash said, â€Å"I'm sorry,† and his voice had never been less fatuous. He pushed the shirt awayand sat up. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† She didn't know who reached first, but they were holding each other. And Mary-Lynnette was thinking about hunters and danger and laughing at death. About all the things it meant to really belong to the night. And about how she would never look in the mirror and see the same person she used to see. â€Å"At least it's over now,† Ash said. She could feel his arms around her, his warmth and solidity, his support. â€Å"There won't be any more killings. It's over.† It was, and so were a lot of other things. The first sob was hard to get out. So hard thatshe'd have thought there would be a pause beforethe next-but, no. There was no pause between that one and the next, or the next or the next. She cried for a long time. And the fire burned itself out and the sparks flew upward and Ash held her all the while.

HIPAA’s Pros and Cons Essay

HIPAA or what is known as the â€Å"Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996† has its pros and cons (United.., 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pros include the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HIPAA guarantees dependability and promptness of â€Å"electronic patient health, administrative, and financial data† (HIPAA, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HIPAA implements rules, policies, and standards that maintain the confidentiality and soundness/constancy of â€Å"individually identifiable health information covering the past, present, as well as, the future† (HIPAA, 2006). For instance, in case where an established institution needs an individual’s record, this individual is ensured that his or her personal information is safe with that institution (HIPAA, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cons, on the other hand, include the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HIPAA negatively affects the access of clients to their medical records (United.., 2007). This is because information may be â€Å"pending† to those who have the right to get hold of it because of the penalties enforced (United.., 2007). This is also because of the fact several health care providers are unsure when it comes to the legalities of the Act (United.., 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HIPAA also does not have a positive impact or effect on health research (United.., 2007). This is because of the fact that HIPAA limits or controls the researchers’ conscientiousness to carry out â€Å"retrospective, chart-based research† (United.., 2007). In addition to that, HIPAA restricts researchers to â€Å"prospectively assess patients by getting in touch with them for the purpose of follow-up† (United.., 2007). Not to mention of course that, in terms of, â€Å"informed consent† forms, wide-ranging and far-reaching detail on how confidentiality is safeguarded is necessitated making it more complicated for subjects to grasp before they could sign in, which usually ends in not signing at all because they do not know what they will be signing on (United.., 2007). References       United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). HIPAA. Retrieved December 5, 2007 from   http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/ HIPAA. (2006). Unsure How to Handle HIPAA? Retrieved December 5, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.hipaa.org/

Social worker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social worker - Essay Example dividual’s upbringing, especially parental influence and their family values, the prevailing religious philosophy, friends and colleagues, education and experiences among others (Great Britain Parliament: House of Commons, 2011). Effective people acknowledge these environmental impacts and develop a precise and important set of principles and priorities. Once personal values are well defined, Bainham (2005) said they will have significant influences on every activity in human life. Human beings are known to demonstrate and tailor values in the practical side of one’s person, organizational culture, decision making processes, their input, and communication within neighbours. As Alsop (2013) suggested, values help individuals to arrive at proper decisions on the most important issues in one’s everyday business and domestic life. In light of the overarching role of personal values, human goals and life activities or experiences are based on the personal values. According to Martin and Rogers (2004) it is important to select the values that an individual prefers the most, the values one believes in and those that influence the character of the person in question. Practicing those values in every activity helps to reinforce personality. Living one’s values is perhaps the most influential tool which can be used to build the kind of person one aspires to be as it helps people to realize the best goals and thoughts (Probert, 2009). Costa-Font and Greer (2012) noted that unlike personal values referring to the morals which an individual recognizes and aligns himself or herself to in respect to parties and situations within a social setting in everyday life, Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) values entail the morals that an individual must conform to during one’s interactions in a formal work life. British Association of Social Workers (BASW) ethics also come in handy during business interactions at the workplace (BASW, 2014; Bridge, & Street, 2001).

Desert Flower by Waris Dirie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Desert Flower by Waris Dirie - Essay Example II. Plot Summary Waris Dirie was born into a nomadic tribe in Africa and deserts of Somalia were her playgrounds in childhood. Life there was a tough option but with no other alternatives she continued to live there, working and tending cows and she grew into a tough individual. She was a victim to the superstitious traditions of genital mutilation, but she had no knowledge about its true significance at that young age of 5. She was given to understand that it was an inevitable procedure to become a woman. Her mother was a party to that cruel exercise on her body and a professional killer woman knifed the outer portion of her genitals and then sewed it up. That was known as the procedure of circumcision, she survived it but some of her close ones, like sister Halemo and two other cousins had died. At the age of thirteen she ran away from the house to stall the efforts of her scheming father who wanted to give her in marriage to an aged individual. She reached Mogadishu to join her si ster Aman who had also escaped from the house. She stayed with her sister and aunt and then reached London with her uncle who was an Ambassador, as a maid to his family. She took education and soon came to realize her inner potentialities. She wanted to transcend from her status as a nomadic woman and achieve something tangible in life. She was in London for 4 years and when it was time for her uncle and family to return to Somalia, she insisted on staying back. She led a solitary life with none to support her. She got acquainted with Malcolm Fairchild, a photographer and then succeeded in getting some jobs in London. She married her friend Marylyn’s brother and got a passport. Opportunities fell to her lot to travel to different countries for modelling and soon she became a... Center of discussion in this paper is â€Å"Desert Flower†, the memoir of Waris Dirie. It is the story of how a nomadic girl from a backward country, Somalia, rises to become an internationally known super-model and then takes the top assignment as the UN Ambassador for the cause of women. She is a remarkable beauty with extraordinary courage. Her march from the village mud roads to the fashion runways of Milan, Paris and London reads like fiction. The name of the book is â€Å"Desert Flower†, but actually the author deserves that name. Cathleen Miller is the ghost writer of the book but the facts and the emotions of the content belong to Waris. The sum and substance of the book according to her own understanding is: Everything decided for her by God and she is just doing the work allotted to her by Him. Birth and death are in the hands of God and none has say on that issue. She will continue to take chances and she does the same throughout her life. During her run, she is nearly eaten by a lion, but the lion somehow spares her. About that encounter she writes, when I realized the lion was not going to kill me, I knew that God had something else planned, some reason to keep me alive. "What is it?" I asked as I struggled to my feet. "Direct me.† Some individuals are the victims of destiny; some are the creators of their destiny. Waris belongs to the latter category and with her fighting qualities, grit and determination she turned every situation to her advantage.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Neil DeGrasse Tyson - Essay Example His passion and advocacy for science is evident in all his undertakings. Technically, Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, and a science communicator regularly seen as the host of special science occasions. The scientific community has heaped numerous academic and honorary degrees to this 56-year-old Tyson. When we talk about Neil deGrasse Tyson, we are talking about a hardcore scientist and a prime-time badass scientist. Neil deGrasse Tyson was born in October 1958, in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America. His father, Cyril deGrasse Tyson, was a sociologist while his mother, Sunchita Feliciano, was a gerontologist. At the age of nine, Neil visited the Hayden Planetarium, the largest planetarium in the world. After returning from his visit, Neil developed an enhanced passion for astronomy. He attended Bronx High School of Science and actively participated in writing and editing the school’s physical sciences magazine (Marne, 19). Neil possessed not only a great passion for astronomy but he was also an excellent communicator. Surprisingly, he had started giving astronomy lectures at the age of fifteen. In the midst of his teenage lectures, Neil deGrasse Tyson was discovered by the iconic astrophysicist Dr. Carl Sagan. Sagan invited him to join an undergraduate degree program at Cornell University but Neil opted to pursue his degree at Harvard University, where he graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics (Marne, 25). After receiving the Bachelor’s degree, Neil deGrasse Tyson became distracted by extracurricular activities like wrestling and dancing. Three years later, Neil proceeded to earn the Master of Arts in Astronomy and Master of Philosophy in Astrophysics from the University of Texas and Colombia University respectively and finally received a PhD of Astrophysics in 1991. Technically, Neil deGrasse Tyson completed his academic journey in 1991, and commenced his career in science. In 1992, Neil

Emerging Adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emerging Adulthood - Essay Example At this time, young people are mostly pursuing education, completing their academic studies and/or determining their adulthood destiny. They engage in a moment of deciding who they are and what they want out of school, work and love (Munsey, 2006). Their minds, in a confused progressive continuum, are unstable. For example, they are mostly torn between pursuing further education or settling and living with friends, romantic partner and working (Munsey, 2006). Separated from parent care and academic routines, young adults try to define their social niche in a particular society. The in-between feeling is marked by the stance where young adults claim that they are taking responsibility for themselves yet, from within, they do not feel completely like adults (Arnett, 2010; Munsey, 2006). While their minds are filled with constant optimism, expected adulthood outcomes are diverse. There is quite a wide array of differences between this period and adolescence and adulthood. Adolescents, to start with, are continuously under the care of parents and school mentors. As so, they virtually get everything that they required at their disposal. At the ages above 12 and 19, children are thus unable to differentiate between the achievements and motives of their parents and other adults from theirs (adolescents’). They thus engage in utopian optimism thinking that everything is possible. On the contrary, emerging adults have a taste of adulthood and thus engage in experimentation of adult experiences. In academics, despite following traits of say a predefined role model, young adults undergo differentiation process where their choice of say a course of study is governed by their abilities manifestation. They specifically tend to negate from their parents’ choices upon realization of who they are and what they want to be later in life. Needless to say, young adults exhibit cognitive development by realizing cultural trends, societal

Analysis of a Career Assessment Instrument Essay

Analysis of a Career Assessment Instrument - Essay Example Additional reason for choosing the MMPI relates to its enhanced accuracy after having undergone series of rephrasing and adjustments to overcome unnecessary biases. The original MMPI underwent revisions to become MMPI-2, MMPI-2RF and MMPI-A. Additionally, the choice for the instrument was due to the possibility of using it in legal and criminal settings to understanding psychological behaviors of criminals, and high-risk employment setup to measure mental fitness of candidates. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a clinical test and measurement tool mostly used for investigating mental health issues. The instrument has a number of benefits that are important to recognize. To begin with, the instrument provides counselors with ability to avoid discriminations. This aspect is a factor of many revisions that the MMPI passed through with the latest taking place in 2008. For instance, the initial MMPI had certain elements that focused more on Christianity while ignoring other religions. Another benefit of using the MMPI relates to the availability of about 10 scales of measurement that target different forms of mental illness. For instance, Scale1 is hypochondriasis scale, Scale 2 is depression, Scale 3-hysteria, Scale 4- psychopathic deviate scale and Scale 5 refers to masculinity-femininity scale. As argued by Brown and Lent (2013), this division of scales makes it easy for professional counselors using the tool to conduct quick assessme nt whose results are mostly specific and accurate. Even with the scales, the instrument allows users to avoid prejudging patient conditions, and advocates mention of scale number as in â€Å"Scale 1† instead of hypochondriasis. Another benefit of MMPI relates to its synchronization to technological advancements that has made it compatible with computer. It is possible to analyze the test outcomes using computer software. The Minnesota

Westpac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Westpac - Essay Example Not only the net income of the bank has been improving but the total assets of the bank have increased to $670,228 million in the year 2011 from a figure of $618,277 million in 2010. Therefore the bank has been prospering and improving its profitability with the passage of time. This report analyzes the performance of the first Australian Bank, Westpac and the environment in which the bank has been operating. The report first analyzes the conditions and pressures that would impact the performance of the bank and then the report examines the effectiveness of the response and progress of the company towards the sustainability strategies. Moreover, the report analyzes the competitive positioning and then highlights the unique internal capabilities that the bank has which have helped in making the bank successful over the years. Financial indicators have been examined of the bank that have helped in analyzing how profitability the company has been from its past years. After the financial crisis, the banking industry has observed several changes. Banks throughout the world including in Australia did not observe good time period after the financial crisis. Several banks became more cautious and implemented different strategies to minimize their risk and to improve their profitability. With the passage of time, several banks have been able to recover from the impacts of recession; however there are still some banks that have still been struggling to find their footstep back on the right track after being hit by the financial crisis. Westpac can be considered as one of the banks that have been able to achieve profitability after being hit by the great financial crisis and therefore the strategies adapted by the bank need to be examined and discussed. Different banks have adapted different kinds of strategies to improve their profitability. One of the strategies that have been successful to a certain extent has been to merge or acquire

Into the Cold War Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Into the Cold War - Assignment Example In addition, he suggested that the United State show a non-proactive resistance that could even lead to the breakdown of the Soviet Union (Miscamble and George 39). In other places in the United States where had started to spread, the Truman doctrine was adapted. Truman requested for help from Turkey and Greece and promised to contain the spread of communism in Europe via the assistance of any country with the economic and the military help in case their stability received any threats firm the Soviet Union. The Truman doctrine is the ground of the president’s foreign policy. Truman argued that the cold war was a selection between oppression and freedom and that the people of the united states were forced to support the free individuals and leave their own choice and decision to avoid getting involved in the European issues . It is thus clear that the Truman Doctrine was not just a strategy of containment but also an American challenge to the ambitions of the Soviet Union (Miscamble and George