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Priyanka Gandhi says“Empowerment doesn't mean a gas cylinder or a toilet. It means self-reliance. Women should be able to decide their own priorities, make their own life & fight against all exploitation.”
Have LPG or toilets have made any difference to India’s women?
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In 2017 an FSG study funded by Shell Foundation revealed 80% of rural women use biomass fuel to cook. They spent almost 4.5 hours daily on cooking & related activities. Most of this time was spent on gathering & preparing biomass fuels which are highly inefficient to cook with.
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The study found that women using LPG for cooking spent 3 hours less than those who used biomass fuels. LPG users saved 1 hour of cooking time, 1.5 hours on gathering cooking fuels & 1/2 hour on cleaning less dirty utensils. Does 3 hours extra every day not enable self-reliance?
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In 2020 Sambodh Research in collaboration with Unicef & Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation conducted a study on the effects of gaining access to toilets for safety, convenience and self-respect of women in rural India.
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The study revealed that 93% of women were no longer afraid of being hurt by other people or animals while defecating. 93% of women also reported no longer being afraid of contracting health infections. Having access to toilets gave women a huge boost against exploitation.
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Women no longer had to travel to & from the open sites, saving both time & preventing anxiety of family at home. 91% of the women stated that they would travel up to 1 hour to before having access to a toilet, while 98% said that they would travel up to a kilometre.
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Building of toilets saved this time, 88% of women reported spending saved time on household chores, 11% on leisure, sleeping & eating and 1% were utilizing it for occupation- related work. Does this freeing up of time not lead to self-reliance or freeing up priorities?
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For women a big aspect of self reliance is hygiene, privacy & dignity in managing with menstruation. This was a huge stress for women. After owning a toilet, 77% of women reported feeling stress-free about menstruation as opposed to 27% when they did not own a toilet.
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Increased time, health, safety, convenience, privacy, hygiene & self-respect are key to gaining self reliance for women in India. LPG & Toilets introduced by the Indian govt. have empowered women of rural India with a huge boost & relief paving the way for their self-reliance.
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It is truly shameful that Priyanka Gandhi casually dismisses LPG & toilets as irrelevant to empowerment of women. Does she not want the women of rural India to have access to programs which free up their time to decide their priorities, make their lives & become self-reliant?
All images & data have been taken from reference research papers at:
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Could today’s technology exist without the invention of number systems, zero, decimals, algebra, trigonometry, algorithms, etc.? Many historians credit Arab scholars, for these ideas, but Arab records themselves reveal that they learnt these concepts from the Hindus of India.
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As far back as 772 CE, a great Indian astronomer visited the Baghdad court of Caliph al-Mansur. He shared astronomy & math formulas from the Brahma-Sphuta-Siddhanta of Brahmagupta(~628 CE). Famous astronomer Al-Fazari translated it - in a book called “Al-Sindhind al-Kabir”
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Concepts from Brâhma-Sphuta-Siddhânta of Brahmagupta & Sûrya-Siddhânta, were translated from Persian into Arabic in a book called Al-Sindhind al-Kabir” referring to Al-Kabîr (great) & "sindhind" as “centuries of centuries”. The astronomical tables were called "zij as- Shah"
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Many Hindus think Christmas is a time of good cheer & celebrate with Christmas pudding/fruitcake made with currants, raisins, candied peels & fruits soaked in brandy and rum. But this innocuous seeming pudding hides the sordid tale of Britain’s colonial imperialism & racism.
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Christmas pudding was earlier called Empire Pudding. It was created by the British empire to show dominance across all its enslaved colonies. Designed as be a culinary symbol, it was a showcase of the consolidated power of the British Empire over its conquered territories.
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Aside from flour & beer, no other ingredients in the dish came from British soil. Empire Pudding was a showcase of misappropriated wealth of ingredients from across the colonies. It was to serve as a symbol of the ultimate tribute by the colonized.
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King Nala’s (Nala-Damayanti fame) culinary book Paka Darpanam describes rice recipes that we still eat today. Recipes for tamarind rice, lemon rice, curry leaf rice, yogurt rice, Biriyani from chicken, meat, quail & Tahari were all eaten in India even before Mahabharat times.
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Rice fried with Ghee was called “Ghritanna” & many rice preparations in this category are still enjoyed in Indian cuisine today. Lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, curry leaves & Hing were combined to make delicious lemon rice to increase strength & reduce phlegm.
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Tamarind (Chinchafala) & Curry Leaf (Kaitarya) rice are similarly described. Tamarind rice made of tamarind juice, ginger, garlic & Hing increases heat & subdues colic. Curry leaf made with sesame oil, Hing & camphor is an antiseptic, kills parasites & reduces congestion.
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Maize is supposed to have been brought to India by the Portugese as a New world crop. But clearly distinctive stone carvings of maize are clearly visible in at least 3 Hoysala temples at Somnathpur, Halebid & Belur in Karnataka.
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Authors Johannessen & Parker, published a research paper “Maize Ears Sculptured in 12th & 13th Century A.D. India as Indicators of Pre-Columbian Diffusion," in Economic Botany providing archaeological & literary evidence that Maize (corn) was present in India from 5th c. CE.
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Their study revealed that Hoysala stone carvings of attendants to gods hold distinctly identifiable Maize ears with very specific Mudras. They analyzed grain size, number of rows, physical characteristics & shape compared to real specimens to identify the carvings as maize.
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It was “Saint” Francis Xavier who ordered the horrific Inquisition in Goa. He made the request to the King of Portugal on May 16, 1545 from Amboina (Moluccas). He asked for permission to begin the Inquisition & more preachers to carry out conversion activities.
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The essential focus of the Inquisition was to punish those who were charged with heresy against Christianity. If they confessed, their punishment was not too harsh. If they refused to confess, they were tortured until officials heard a confession or the victim died.
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The Manual of Regulations of the Inquisition was the original guide book for the Inquisitors of the Goa Tribunal to carry out the confession & torture . The Inquisition of Hindus & other Indians in Goa is documented to be far more cruel than what had happened in Europe.
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The city of Kashi epitomizes the unshakeable resilience & unity of Hindus. Devastated multiple times by Islamic invaders, it rose again every time to be rebuilt & renewed by Hindus from all over India, who ensured its perpetual rebirth & existence.
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Hindu temples of Varanasi were devastated so many times, that almost no ancient temple site could escape modification. The 10th c. Kardameshwar temple of Siva, in Kandura village near BHU is the only temple in its original state dating from the pre-Muslim period.
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The Islamic invasions began in In 1033 CE when Varanasi was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni’s son Nialtagin. By end of 11th c., Chandradeva, established the Gahadavala dynasty by regaining Kashi & built the Adi Keshava shrine with gold, valuables, 1000 cows & a village.