Several blasts in Bodhgaya

This morning on 7 July, 2013, in a terror attack, 9 bombs exploded inside the Mahabodhi temple (“Great Awakening Temple”) complex (a UNESCO World heritage site) located in Bodh-Gaya in the Indian state of Bihar which is the Buddhism’s holiest shrine.
The first blast took place inside the temple at 5:30 am, followed by eight successive explosions in the next half hour, one near the Buddha statue, one near the Mahabodhi tree and others near the Teraga monastery, injuring 5 people.
One unexploded bomb was also traced and defused.
The main temple is intact and sanitised.

This holy site is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
The site of the Bodhi tree at Bodhigaya is, directly connected to the life of Buddha (566-486 BCE) and attained enlighment or perfect insight when he was meditating under this tree.
The Bodhi tree, which is to the west of the main temple is a direct continuation of original Bodhi tree under which Budha spent his first week after attaining enlighment.
According to the Jatakas, it forms the navel of the earth, and no other place can support the weight of the Buddha’s attainment.

The Intelligence Bureau of India may have alerted state officials of possible threats around 15 days prior to the bombing.
It happens “again” just before some elections in order to raise controversies and disputes which is exactly the opposite of Buddha’s teachings unless it is done in order to mark the Dalai Lama’s birthday who just turned 78 a few hours before those blasts…
Terrorism is not negotiable…Nothing justifies such things…What comes to the mind of those who do such things…???

This insanity is beyond words…I know this place which only inspires love, compassion and brotherhood…
(Last time I went there I took this picture at dawn before anyone came inside the complex)

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Picture stolen by SITI Network 2

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For the second time this year a picture of mine was illegally used without my agreement by SITI Network.
It came on SITI Varanasi TV the 16th of August 2011 at 10pm.

Whenever my work is stolen without asking, without mentioning any credit, I am suing the thieves and asking substantial damages to be given to an NGO in Varanasi.
The people in charge of this case were threatened to give up in order that this NGO keeps a good position in the medias.
Since a few days I also got rude comments under some of my pictures on several Facebook groups connected to Varanasi, on WordPress and on Flickr.
Those comments are all connected to my copyrights notice mentioned under each of my images, claiming that no picture shot in the city belongs to photographers but to the people of the city.
Nevertheless copyright is a statutory right to stop others copying or exploiting authors’ works in various other ways without permission and India accepted this international agreement known as the Berne Concention.
Therefore there is nothing to desagree as it is compulsory.

The worst is that this TV show settled by SITI was about Anna Hazare and corruption (those who understand Hindi can read what is written in the lower part of the screen).

SITI is talking about corruption but they are more corrupted…!!!

They steal, they behave like mafias and they dare to teach lessons on what is right or wrong…what a joke…!!!
I am taking this case to court and in the meantime I am calling everyone to boycott those opprtunists…BOYCOTT SITI NETWORK…!!!

Without Fear of Ridicule

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“BSP and its government in UP is against corruption and criminalisation of the politics since beginning and the part supports Anna Hazare in his campaign”
(Mayawati – Current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, b. 1956)

This picture with statues reminding totalitarian regimes was shot at the Kashi Ram Green Eco Garden in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
On the left it shows Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Kumari who erected this memorial park on 120-acre of land.
She also erected number of statues of herself in many other cities and then she settled a plan for a special police force to protect them as she feared that her political opponents might demolish her work.
All this was done in order to show respect towards Dalit icons as she considers herself as one.
While watching such an expensive huge space it is easy to think that people would have prefer houses, schools and hospitals instead.

Mayawati became the first Dalit-woman chief minister of any Indian state and therefore a symbol for millions of Dalits (or “untouchables”) who were oppressed by the Hindu upper castes for centuries.
However there are allegations that she has used her status to amass a large amount of personal wealth.
Her assets run into millions of dollars with several properties to her name.
The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) had filed a case against her for owning assets disproportionate to her known sources of income however she described the CBI investigation against her as illegal.
While the source of the funds was given as voluntary donations, CBI found at least 50 sweepers, hawkers, and rickshaw-pullers who had been asked to open bank accounts and sign blank cheques from which these funds eventually originated.
Her mega birthday bashes are major media events where she appears laden with diamonds.

Since last Tuesday a revolution started in India when Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare was jailed in Delhi as he wants tougher laws against corruption at a time of many political scandals, including murders and misuse of public money.
Anna Hazare supporters are becoming numerous, he was realesed this morning but the government is facing it’s worst problem.
It seems that Mayawati doesn’t know Fear of ridicule when last morning she decided to support Anna Hazare’s movement.

This is just an exemple in order to explain the situation in India and to show that things won’t change easily but “Rome wasn’t built in a day” so let’s hope for better tomorrows…

Stand with Anna Hazare

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”Bliss does not come from outside, it comes from inside, from serving the people.”
(Kisan Baburao Hazare known as Anna Hazare – Indian Anti-corruption activist, b.1937)

I am using this picture showing men wearing Gandhi caps along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) as a dedication to Anna Hazare who was jailed in Delhi a few hours ago.
Those caps are commonly worn by Indian independence activists and tonight many of his supporters are wearing it as a symbol of their fight.

On August 16, 2011 Anna Hazare, an Indian social activists fighting for the noble cause of anti-corruption was arrested four hours before the planned indefinite hunger strike due to disagreement between Civil Society and UPA Government over a strong anti-corruption bill commonly called as Jan-Lokpal Billand and was sent to Tihar jail located in the west of New Delhi.
Along with Hazare, other key members of the India Against Corruption movement including Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia were also detained from different locations.
It was reported that about 1,300 supporters were detained in Delhi.
Earlier Shehla Masood, Anna Hazare’s supporter and RTI activist was shot dead in Bhopal.
Anna Hazare received massive and unanticipated support from people across the country.
Tonight peaceful protest rallies and marches were held all over the country against government’s move of arresting Hazare and others.

This is an important page of the history of India which is happening now with the beginning of a new democracy.
Anna Hazare became a symbol gathering any kind of people, from any part of the country, with any religion, from any generation and any social background.

Anna Hazare is an inspiration to the whole world, he is giving a new meaning for politics and a hope for better tomorrows.
“Jai Hind…Bharat Maata Ki Jai…!!!”

www.ndtv.com/article/india/who-is-anna-hazare-96883
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Anna-Hazares-supporter-…
www.penn-olson.com/2011/04/08/petition-to-support-anna-ha…

Terror Strikes Again in Mumbai

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This little girl smiled at me in a village located nearby Lucknow.
She could be a Hindu or a Muslim, she could also be the daughter or the sister of anyone who died or who was injured in Mumbai this evening.
Once again the same innocents suffer and once again the same butchers try to scare and spread terror in this city like in any other city in the world.
Those cowards who do those kind of things are away from God.
The people of Mumbai are amazing, they react with courage, dignity and don’t allow terror to overpower the city…they are the winners.
This is the reason why I selected the picture of an innocent child smiling in order to support my friends there.

All my thoughts are for Mumbai tonight, for those who suffer there…

This is a link in order to watch the latest news from India in English on NDTV:
www.ndtv.com/video/live​-player/channel/ndtv24x7

No Child Labor

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“Rights of the children are not questionable.
Child labor is not negotiable.
Child labor is the worst form of modern slavery.
Whatever excuse people may have, employing kids full-time is child labor.”

 

Recently I saw those words on a wall in Sarnath, at the entrance of of the place where His Holiness the Dalai Lama was giving his teachings.
This is the reason why it is also writen in Tibetan.

 

Yesterday was “World Day Against Child Labour”.
Around 115 million boys and girls under the age of 18 are involved in hazardous child labour.
Making a change is possible.
In India both employers and trade unions are actively involved in the fight against child labour, especially when it comes to keeping children out of hazardous work.

 

There shouldn’t be only one “World Day Against Child Labour”, we should think about this everyday…
Anyone who sees or knows a case of childlabor and doesn’t interfere becomes a sinner of complicity.
This year you are more than one million viewers to have visited my websites on Facebook, Flickr, WordPress and Ipernity, I am humbly asking you to think about this madness.
There is a child in each of us, it is easy to remember that once we were children as well…
We need to work together.
A child must be in school only and we need to educate the mothers as well.
Child labor is really not negotiable.

 

(As I wrote many times this file with pictures standing against Human Rights Violations and Human trafficking gets many comments and mails from people who don’t understand why I am raising my voice for this purpose.
The reason is that I should not have to justify those pictures nor my words as child labor is absolutly wrong and besides I truly think that there is no deal nor concession to make with providers or users of child labor.
Uploading those pictures is not a lack of respect to India nor to its traditions, the rest of my photostream shows my respect and true love for the country.
Of course I understand that this can be disturbing for those who are so used to have children working for them or to those for whom this is such a common thing that it became normal to see this without feeling anything wrong about it.)

 

Give a second thought about this…

 

www.ilo.org/global/meetings-and-events/events/world-day-a…

 

 

Stolen Childhood

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A few days ago I saw this little boy at the vegetable market which is at the end of Dasaswamedh road in Varanasi (Benaras).
He was selling green beans sitting on a wooden cart for several hours.

Child labor in India is a human right issue for the whole world.
According to the statistics given by Indian government there are 20 million child laborers in the country, while other agencies claim that it is 50 million.
The Indian government has tried to take some steps to alleviate the problem of child labor in recent years by invoking a law that makes the employment of children below 14 illegal, except in family owned enterprises.
However this law is rarely adhered to due to practical difficulties.
People using children usually find loopholes and circumvent the law by declaring that the child laborer is a distant family member.
In villages there is no law implementing mechanism, and any punitive actions for commercial enterprises violating these laws is almost non existent.

Anyone who sees or knows a case of childlabor and doesn’t interfere becomes a sinner of complicity…

 

Free Sakineh

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“Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Iranian Mother, could be put to death at any moment.

July 12, 2010 – IRAN: Judiciary official says woman to be stoned for husband’s murder, not just adultery.
An Iranian woman faces death after having been tortured for alleged adultery.
In 2006 Ashtiani was convicted of having an ‘illicit relationship’ and received 99 lashes.
Since this time the 43 year old has been in jail where she recanted the confession she made under the duress of the lashing.

Just recently she was dragged before a court and retried.
Again she was convicted and this time, despite the punishment she has already endured, sentenced to be stoned to death.
This barbaric practice involves wrapping a woman tightly from head to toe in white cloth, burying her up to her shoulders in sand, and pelting her to death with large stones.

Yesterday late in the afternoon Iran’s government denied reports that Ashtiani will be executed by stoning, though her death sentence may still be carried out by some other method, likely hanging.
Knowledgeable Iranian human rights activists, including Amnesty International, question the veracity of this statement and remain deeply concerned about Ashtiani’s fate.

WE must not let Ashtinai become another victim of the debasing, inhuman treatment of women that has become the daily reality in Iran.
Make your voice count and encourage others to do the same.

Take action against the practice of stoning; take action against abuse of women, sign this petition.”

freesakineh.org/

Disgraceful Lemons

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“This World Day against Child Labour comes at a critical juncture in the global campaign against child labour and the goal of ending its worst forms by 2016. …
We must accelerate action to reach this goal.”
(Juan Somavia – Director-General of the International Labour Organization)
Message for World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June 2010

———————————————————————————————-

This picture was shot a few days ago in front of a five star Hotel in Varanasi (Benaras), it was one of the hotest day of the year.
Those two very young children were selling lemons, there was no adult with them, I saw many buyers coming and bargaining as there was no difficulty to negociate with those kids.
As a matter of fact it was the only concern of all those adults who were standing there.
None of them reacted, people were even wondering why I was taking pictures.

In the “biggest democracy in the world”, child labor is a crime like it is in any other country.
Whowever the exploitation of young children for labor is an accepted practice in Northern India.

Since I started to upload this file with pictures standing against Human Rights Violations and Human trafficking on several of my websites I get many comments and mails from people who don’t understand why I am raising my voice for this purpose.

The reason is that I should not have to justify those pictures nor my words as child labor is absolutly wrong and besides I truly think that there is no deal nor concession to make with providers or users of child labor.

Uploading those pictures is not a lack of respect to India nor to its traditions, the rest of my photostream shows my respect and true love for the country.

Of course I understand that this can be disturbing for those who are so used to have children working for them or to those for whom this is such a common thing that it became normal to see this without feeling anything wrong about it.

I don’t agree with those who say that we can’t change this.
I don’t agree with those who say that it’s not of my concern and that this is the job of politics.
I don’t agree with those who are sorry for the condition of the pets on the pictures but don’t feel anything towards the children.
I don’t agree with those who say that it is a helpless cause.
I don’t agree with those who say that it is a consequence of poverty and that charity is useless.

This situation must stop, first people have to understand it is wrong, then if everyone stop using children they will have no other choice than to go to school.
Everyone knows that families who are ailing with poverty perceive their children as an income generating resource to supplement the family income and they also say that they can’t afford education so we all have to work on this and find answers which can satisfy the parents as well.

Today the Indian parliament has passed a bill to provide universal, free and compulsory education for all children so it is our duty to make this work.
It is our duty to interfere otherwise we all become sinners of complicity…

I am living and working in India since a long time, therefore I have the right to stand for those kids in order that we can all live in a better society without being ashamed of any situation that we have allowed to happen.

How could people forget the meaning of LOVE & COMPASSION…

In a Shroud of Disgrace

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This picture was shot Monday the 31st of May 2010, around 1pm in Varanasi (Benaras), one of the hotest day of the year and at lunch time which is the hotest moment.
Among a few workers two children were removing rocks and sand from the street in order to carry all this into a well known hospital of the city, .
Those children were not much taller than the dunkies and poneys with them and they must not be more than 10 years old.
They kept on doing this work all day till 4:30.
Anyone could see what was going on in the street and inside the new wing of the building.
Any doctor, patient or visitor but also any officer coming to take their car from the police parking which is located in front of all that.
None of them reacted, nor didn’t all those car drivers who were shouting at the kids to go faster.
It seems that everyone accepted this situation or even worst, that nobody cares.

In the “biggest democracy in the world”, child labor is a crime like it is in any other country.
Whowever the exploitation of young children for labor is an accepted practice in Northern India.

I often try to explain that it is wrong and that our duty is to make sure that children are going to school.
But families who are ailing with poverty perceive their children as an income generating resource to supplement the family income and they also say that they can’t afford education.
Those who employ those kids say that it’s for the best because they could get worst from others and that if they refused to give them a job others will do it.
However the situation of child laborers in India is desperate.
Children work for eight hours at a stretch with only a small break for frugal meals and most of them are ill nourished.
They also cannot go home and sleep at their work place, which is very bad for their health and development.
Therefore Parents sacrifice their children’s education to the growing needs of their younger siblings in such families and view them as wage earners for the entire clan.

Child labor in India is a human right issue for the whole world and it is not possible to listen all that.
They are no deal nor concession to do with providers and users of child labor.

Personnally and through my company in India I am sending several children to school, providing them an education which might allow them to have a better future.
It seems to be a duty to do this and there is nothing special about it.
However it is a sin to see a child being exploited and not to react.
I am asking all my friends in India to think about this, most of us are mothers or fathers, all of us can easily remember our own childhood, we can’t accept this anymore.
Of course we can’t help the whole world but if each of us help one child we can do a lot.
Send children to school, this is where they belong only.

According to the statistics given by Indian government there are 20 million child laborers in the country, while other agencies claim that it is 50 million.