Naresh Kumar Vaid, Director , Vaids ICS

We have read about several honour killings in recent months in the name of saving the honour of the family. The traditional panchayats of Jaats of Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are traditionally known as khaps and most of the honour killings have been reported from these regions and from this community. Traditional panchayats have existed in India since ancient times. They have been regulating the affairs of the community quite efficiently. The affairs included social aspects including arranging and /or participating in marriage; economic affairs including trade preferences, redistribution, gift exchanges etc., political affairs including resolution of conflicts and imposing fine on accused, as also religious affairs. After the 73rd amendment to Indian Constitution, these traditional panchayats have been made redundant as Constitutionally elected panchayats have taken over their economic as well as political functions and without these most of the tradional panchaya...

I have been anxiously waiting for the last couple of days to find some meaningful response from the media about Rahul Gandhi's visit by Shatabdi and attack on his train in which he was travelling. Everyone worth the name has been talking about VVIP security and none has talked about the security of Indian Rail, forget about the security of commom man. The ministry of Railways declared bonus but said nothing about the mishap. Targeting glasses of AC bogies is nothing new for railways but this time was involved a VVIP. The Indian Railways must think about its overall security and the VIP security will be OK automatically.

लोग बिछुड़ जाते है दो राहे पर , हम एक राह चले ,कुछ पीछे छुट गए कुछ आगे निकल गए । कोई आबे हयात था ,कोई दिल का सबाब कोई आबे जमजम था कोई मन का खवाब कोई चश्मे नूर ,तो कोई लखते जिगर कोई हमनशीं ,हमराज कोई हमसफ़र हमराह ,हमप्याला .हमनिवाला ,हमनज़र अब कोई नही किसी की ख़बर वक्त की दल दल में कुछ तो फिसल गए काल के साए कुछ को निगल गए । और कुछ तो ऐसे थे न जाने कैसे-कैसे थे - कमबख्त, कमजर्फ बददिमाग, बदमिजाज़, बदलहाजिब बदगुमान बेमुरब्बत, बेहया और बदजुबान हाथ मिलाया, काँधे चद्का आगे निकल गए ।

There was a news item in the newspapers recently which I read with interest and which stated: "A pastry-eating competi-tion in the canteen of a multinational IT company in Udyog Vihar cost a young engineer his life on Wednesday (Nov. 19, 08) afternoon. Twenty-two-year-old Saurabh Sabharwal, who reportedly choked to death, was found unconscious in the washroom after having eaten many pastries. He was rushed to a private hospital where the doctors declared him dead." The most memorable incident of this kind occurred in 1976. A US scientist in 1975 declared that existence of mankind was in danger. "There is a common opening for our food pipe and wind pipe — epiglottis. When we gulp food, it covers the wind pipe. Accordingly when we breath (inhale), it covers the food pipe. This is the mechanism to avoid the entry of food into wind pipe. At times epiglottis forgets its function and food may slip into wind pipe which is withdrawn through coughing. If food in not retracted int...