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#JusticeForGulnaz: 20YO Bihar Girl Burnt Alive In Vaishali District, No Arrests So Far!

Written By: Sonali
November 17, 2020
  • Full Read
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Five years ago, when my Bengali friend married her Muslim boyfriend against her family’s wishes, half of the North Kolkata was on rage and kept calling their affair another example of love jihad.

It took her more than two years to find acceptance from her kin, but they have been happy since ever!

Yesterday, when I read about Gulnaz Khatoon, it instantly hit a part of me — and I asked myself if my fellow countrymen would again call it a love jihad?

I think no!

Because this time, it was a Muslim victim, and the accused was a Hindu. And probably, this is why, even after more than 15 days of the incident, no legal actions have been taken yet!

And with every word I write, my heart aches by thinking of that young, innocent 20YO Gulnaz who was about to get married in just four months but was succumbed to her brutal and extensive burn injuries after she was set on fire by men who had been allegedly stalking and threatening her for a long time.

“She was to be married off in just four months. But Satish Kumar Rai, son of Vinay Rai, and Chandan Kumar Rai, son of Vijay Rai, burnt my daughter to death in Vaishali. She herself said so in a video before she died. We have nobody to speak for us,” says the mother of the 20YO deceased Gulnaz.

“She had objected to the sexual harassment and stalking they had been subjecting her to for three months,” said her younger sister. “When my sister used to go and dump garbage, these men would harass her. On October 30 at 5 PM, Chandan Kumar and Satish Kumar poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze,” Gulnaz’s brother added.

Gulnaz belonged to a simple family — her mother was a tailor; her brother was working in Patna. She was soon to be married and life, hopefully, had been admirable for her until these men started troubling her.

The saddest part of this incident is that the men who harassed, attacked and murdered this young Bihar girl was clearly named by her and her family but have not been arrested yet. A viral video on social media can be seen where the victim had clearly pointed out the accused’ names, but there have been no legal actions so far.

To make it worse, the media have gotten no response from the local police or Bihar’s re-elected Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. For like every horrific incident, #JusticeForGulnaz is trending online, but no one can see the pain and agony behind Gulnaz’s mother who has been pleading to the government and authorities for justice for over two weeks now. 

“They had told her they would kill her, they doused her with kerosene and lit a match,” her mother shared — for someone whose young daughter had been literally burnt alive, one could not even imagine the way she would be holding herself.

The incident happened in the Vaishali district of Bihar, but it is another tight slap on the entire country’s face — and on those who have been whining on how love jihad is exploiting and destroying young people’s lives.

And if you think that this is only a case of religion and so-called love jihad then let me tell you that the accused men carry caste names of the dominant community.

The incident happened in the Chandpuram village of Vaishali district under Desari police station after which the victim was admitted to PMCH in Patna and 15 days later was succumbed to her injuries.

As per a report by ABP News Online, the accused, Satish Yadav, is a known goon of the village who used to harass the victim. He, along with his two companions, caught Gulnaz near her house and set her on fire after she complained about him.

“They had been saying they would kill me for days. I had told them not to stand here [stalk], they said we have bought the road, they poured kerosene on me and lit a match. He is Vinay Rai’s son,” says Gulnaz in her video statement.

The social media users, again, are divided, and some of them are calling out the hypocrites and asking if this would also be called a love jihad since the accused in this case is a Hindu and not a Muslim. At the same time, a lot of people are staying numb as the victim is a Muslim from a poor family and the accused are from a dominant caste.

Much like the Hathras incident, the local police here too did not take any action even after getting the information soon after the attack and reaching the hospital. As per the sources, they met the victim and registered her statement also but did not file an FIR until the victim’s video statement started getting viral on social media. 

So there was no action taken by the local police for the first four days, and even after the victim’s death, no arrests have been made so far.

A classic (yes that’s what I would it) case of religion, caste, dominance and minority, Gulnaz’s case is not new — except that she is a Muslim. Her case is not first and won’t be the last also —  and this will keep happening until the government and authorities get themselves out of this quagmire of caste and religion.

Sometimes Dalit, sometimes Muslim, and sometimes minor — no matter what the location or who the government is — it’s always a woman losing her life, her family crying their heart out for justice and a bunch of filthy accused people who roam freely around the city!

Now I ask you, would you call it a love jihad? #JusticeForGulnaz #Shame

#justiceforgulnazbihargulnazsexual abusesexual assaultsexual safetySupportWomenvaishaliwomen in india

Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

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Infano Care

Food And Mental Health- The Gut’s Connection With The Brain

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin
October 5, 2021 | 10:10 AM |
1,331

Highlights

  • Acknowledging the connection between mood and food
  • Foods for  mental health
  • Food habits that aggravate stress and depression
  • Modification in eating habits
  • Full Read
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Infano brings to you 10 Days Of Mental Health in collaboration with The Logical Indian in lieu of World Mental Health Day on October 10. Nutritionist Zehra Aliakbar tells us the connection between food and mental health.

Mental health is an intrinsic part of health. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Handling stress, relating to others, and making choices are determined by mental health. Hence it is aptly said that there is no health without mental health.

Though mental health is mainly determined by a range of socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors, surprisingly it can also be influenced by access to food and overall diet quality and our mental health can, in turn, affect eating habits.

Acknowledging the connection between food and mental health

While it’s widely known that nutrition plays a key role in a person’s physical health, it directly affects emotional well-being, too. Most of us have often experienced that we turn to less healthful foods, such as sweets or highly processed snack foods when we are angry, upset, or stressed. Moreover, mental health can make adhering to a healthful diet more difficult when one is on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications that tend to increase appetite and cravings.

On the other hand, what we eat directly affects the structure and function of our brain. Let’s know the science behind this.

There’s a relationship between our brain and our gastrointestinal tract which is home to billions of bacteria that influence the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin (carry messages from the gut to the brain).

Eating healthy food promotes the growth of “good” bacteria, which in turn positively affects neurotransmitter production. A steady diet of junk food, on the other hand, can cause inflammation that hampers production. When neurotransmitter production is in good shape, your brain receives these positive messages loud and clear, and your emotions reflect it. But when production goes awry so does your mood.

Put simply, your brain should not be deprived of good-quality nutrition.

Food habits that aggravate stress and depression

food and mental health

Sugar and processed foods are known to cause inflammation throughout the body and brain, which may contribute to mood disorders, including anxiety and depression. When we’re feeling stressed or depressed, it’s often processed foods we reach for in search of a quick mood booster.  A cup of coffee stands in for a pick-me-up break and a complete breakfast of fresh fruits and vegetables is replaced with high-fat, high-calorie fast food. A pint of ice cream rescues us from slipping into low woes.

This hinders us from adopting a healthy diet leading to emotional eating and unwanted health hazards.

Foods for mental health

The cycle of food affecting mood and vice versa is a vicious one, but it can be overcome by practicing healthy and mindful eating.

Certain nutrients in food promote emotional wellbeing. These nutrients include;

  • Omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, canola oil .
  • Folic acid : broccoli, spinach, sprouts, citrus fruits, nuts
  • Vitamin D: besides sunshine which is the main source you can also rely on fatty fish,  mushrooms, egg yolks.
  • Magnesium: greens, nuts, beans and whole grains.
  • B vitamins: green vegetables meat, milk ,cheese, eggs
  • Tryptophan: helps raise serotonin which is a mood stabilizer and is found in milk, nuts and seeds, chicken, cheese, oats.
food and mental health

Modification in eating habits

  • Include alternative sources of carbs like Quinoa, millet, beets and sweet potatoes which has  more nutritional value and greater satiety than the simple carbohydrates found in sugar and candy.
  • Always make sure your food contains good sources of protein like chicken, meat, fish, eggs, soybeans, nuts and seeds.
  •  Fuel your brain and nervous system with healthy fatty acids. You can find them in fish, meat, eggs, nuts and flaxseeds, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado. This will support your brain function.
  • Staying well hydrated with atleast 8 glasses of water daily.
  • Do not skip meals. Never.
  • Be  mindful of your caffeine and alcohol intake. Both can directly impact your mood or anxiety level.
  • Abstain from processed snack foods, such as potato chips, which can impair your ability to concentrate. Pass up sugar-filled snacks, such as candy and soft drinks, which lead to ups and downs in energy levels
  • Instead have a healthy snack when hunger strikes, such as fruit, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, baked sweet potatoes. This will give you more energy than packaged products.
  • Develop a healthy shopping list and stick to it.
  • Don’t shop while hungry, since you’ll be more tempted to make unhealthy impulse purchases.
  • Be mindful of where and when you eat. Don’t eat in front of the television, which can be distracting and cause you to overeat. Instead, find a place to sit, relax, like in your balcony and really notice what you’re eating. Chew slowly. Savor the taste and texture.
  • Try eating with your family or friends. A good company always adds spice to food and mood. Mealtime is family time

Over time, healthy eating, along with regular exercise and medication, helps to overcome any treatable mental disorder.  Incorporating good-for-your-mood foods into your diet may take some extra effort, but it’s all worth it because all minds matter.

This article has been authored by Zehra Aliakbar. She is a Pharmacist and Nutritionist and blogs at the3gsofnutrition.wordpress.com

10 days of mental healthFoodmental healthnutrition

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.

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